Malcolm Turnbull has fired back at North Korea after Pyongyang took a swipe at Australia for taking part in war games between the US and South Korea.
Senior cabinet minister Christian Porter believes Kim Jong-un may be "blustering" by describing Australia's involvement as a "suicidal act", but the inflammatory words aren't without consequence.
"Well, it's a pretty strong sort of a bluster, and the bluster itself creates a whole range of issues and problems that arise," Mr Porter told the Nine Network on Tuesday.
Two dozen Australian defence personnel are taking part in the annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise, which involves more than 17,000 American troops along with small contingents from a handful of other countries.
The same exercises last year provoked North Korea to conduct nuclear tests.
North Korea's official news agency has condemned Australia's involvement in an editorial.
"This is a suicidal act of inviting disaster as it is an illustration of political immaturity, unaware of the seriousness of the current situation," the agency said, according to translations.
"Australia followed the US to the Korean War, the Vietnamese War and the war on terrorism, but heavy loss of lives and assets were all that it got in return."
The prime minister hit back last night.
"North Korea has shown it has no regard for the welfare of its own population, no regard for the security and good relations with its neighbours and no regard for international law," he said in a statement.
"We call on countries to redouble their efforts, including through implementation of agreed UN Security Council resolutions, to bring North Korea to its senses and end its reckless and dangerous threats to the peace of our region and the world."
Mr Porter described the threat North Korea posed as extremely serious, stressing the need for strong sanctions.
"We (must) ensure that countries, particularly China, do everything they are supposed to be doing to place pressure on the regime so that it amends its ways," he said.
