North Korea has criticised and threatened Australia for aligning itself with South Korea and the United States and for its attitude toward the Pyongyang regime, according to state-run media.
"Lately, Australia is showing dangerous moves of zealously joining the frenzied political and military provocations of the US against the DPRK," state-run news agency KCNA said in a statement on Saturday.
"The Australian foreign minister personally expressed her support for the stand of the US to consider all options including the use of force towards the DPRK, and turned up at Panmunjom on October 11 together with the Australian defence minister to condemn the DPRK during her visit to South Korea."
The statement refers to the visit to South Korea this week by Julie Bishop and Marise Payne during which they met their counterparts and visited the truce-village of Panmunjom.
Panmunjom is located within the tense demilitarised zone (DMZ), a 4km-wide strip that separates the two Koreas, which have technically been at war for more than 65 years.
During the visit, the ministers stressed the need for diplomatic pressure to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions and urged the country not to carry out any more weapons tests and halt its nuclear and missile program.
"Should Australia continue to follow the US in imposing military, economic and diplomatic pressure upon the DPRK despite our repeated warnings, they will not be able to avoid a disaster," KCNA warned.
Bishop says Australia is not North Korea's 'primary target' after threats
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says threats from North Korea are nothing new and only strengthen Australia's resolve to find a peaceful solution.
The Pyongyang regime has criticised Australia's "dangerous moves" in its support for the US in its political and military provocations and should it continue it will not be able to "avoid disaster".
"North Korea's threats only strengthen our resolve to find a peaceful solution to the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused entirely by North Korea's illegal, threatening and provocative behaviour," she told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
Ms Bishop said North Korea had made threats of this nature against Australia before and added: "Australia is not considered to be a primary target.
"North Korea is making threats against other nations in our regions and that's why we're part of this collective strategy to impose the maximum pressure in a peaceful way diplomatically and economically through sanctions to compel North Korea back to the negotiating table."
