North Korea is annoyed by the nuclear submarine deal between the United States and Australia and warned of possible "counteraction" if it finds the agreement between the two Western powers poses a threat to its security.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry said both the U.S. security pact with Australia and Britain, and the submarine technology deal were "extremely dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and spark a chain of nuclear arms race," the state-run KCNA news agency quoted the ministry as saying in a statement, Monday.
Last week, the U.S. sealed a new trilateral security accord involving the United Kingdom to provide technological assistance to Australia to manufacture at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.
North Korea and China criticized the agreement as "irresponsible" and one that "destroys regional peace and stability" and the world's non-proliferation efforts, Reuters said.
U.S. President Joe Biden revealed last week the new alliance that would build a fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. He pointed out that the submarines would be conventionally armed.
The disclosure elicited a furious reaction from France, which claimed Australia concealed its plans to withdraw from a A$90 billion deal for French government-owned Naval Group to make 12 diesel-electric submarines.
North Korea's warning come days after Chinese government officials responded to the agreement by warning of a possible "arms race," and at a time when Pyongyang appears to be ramping up its ballistic missile program.
North Korea slammed the U.S.'s "double-dealing attitude," singling out the statements made by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that it does not seek conflict with China but the decision was to boost regional security.
A Pyongyang official said North Korea supports the views of China and other nations that the U.S.-Australia submarine contract would destroy regional peace and security and intensify arms races.
The North announced in 2018 that it would halt conducting nuclear tests after ttalks with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, but nuclear disarmament negotiations with Washington have been in a stalemate since 2019.
North Korea has denounced the U.S. for providing technological aid to its allies' weapons program while condemning the North's development as threats to regional peace and security.
