North Korean state-run media on Thursday criticised the United States over a nuclear submarine agreement with Australia signed under the AUKUS Partnership in 2021. They called it a "threat against regional peace."

A KCNA commentary said that Washington should be cautious about the consequences of what they called nuclear alliances. They named AUKUS, as well as trilateral cooperation between South Korea and Japan.

Australia has just paid the U.S. $500 million as its first payment under the AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Deal.

AUKUS will see Australia pay $3 billion to the United States to increase the submarine industry's capacity. Washington will then sell Australia several Virginia-class, nuclear-powered subs in the early 2030s.

The U.S. also claimed that North Korea is an obstacle to its hegemony over the region, and said nuclear-armed states would not be idly watching.

North Korea criticizes the trilateral military co-operation between South Korea and Japan, and calls it "the Asian NATO". (Reporting and editing by Hyunsu Yaim; Sandra Maler).

(source: Reuters)