North Korean state media has criticised the United States for a nuclear submarine deal with Australia under the AUKUS partnership signed in 2021, calling it a "threat to regional peace".
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A commentary carried by KCNA said Washington should be wary of consequences for what it said were nuclear alliances, naming AUKUS and the trilateral co-operation with South Korea and Japan.
Australia just made its first $US500 million ($A788 million) payment to the US under the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
Under AUKUS, Australia will pay the United States $US3 billion to boost the capacity of the US submarine industry, and Washington will sell several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the early 2030s.
It also argued the US sees North Korea as an obstacle to its establishment of hegemony in the region and said nuclear states would not sit idly by, referring to itself.
North Korea has been criticising the trilateral military co-operation between South Korea, Japan and the US, and has called the relationship "the Asian version of NATO".
South Korea's defence ministry said that a joint air drill was held with the US with at least one B-1B strategic bomber taking part.
The drill was to show extended deterrent capabilities by the United States in response to threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile program, the ministry said in a statement.
Australian Associated Press
