South Korea has held a large-scale military parade in central Seoul for the first time in a decade, showing its stance to boost deterrence capability against nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

The parade took place on Tuesday evening to mark 75 years since the founding of the South Korean military. About 4,000 troops participated in the event while traffic was restricted on a major street in central Seoul.

The parade showcased tanks, self-propelled artillery, a long-range missile interceptor to deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats, as well as Hyunmoo missiles.

US troops stationed in South Korea also paraded, showing unity between the militaries of the two countries.

Some spectators who lined the street in the rain said the military showed its strength, while others said they are proud of the troops.

South Korea used to hold the parade once every five years. But the event was not held under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, which placed importance on dialogue with the North. Tuesday's parade was the first since 2013.

Earlier in the day, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned in a speech that if Pyongyang uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the South Korea-US alliance.