Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test and called on the United Nations to take further action against the "dangerous pariah regime".
A shallow, 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook North Korea on Sunday with the rogue state later confirming it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that possesses "great destructive power".
"Australia utterly condemns North Korea's flagrant defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which ban nuclear weapons development and testing by Kim Jong-un's regime," Mr Turnbull said in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne.
While there's no independent confirmation of the bomb, the Australian government says this marks North Korea's sixth nuclear test.
"North Korea's reckless conduct poses a grave danger to global peace and security," Mr Turnbull said.
The federal government has called on the UN Security Council to urgently consider further action against North Korea.
It wants the council's five permanent members and the international community to apply the maximum possible pressure to the "dangerous pariah regime".
The government has also urged China to use its economic and political leverage to rein in North Korea's actions.
"Now is the time for strengthened resolve by all members of the international community," the government said.
Earlier on Sunday, Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said governments around Asia would be watching developments on the Korean peninsula with great trepidation.
"Right across our region governments would be watching North Korea's action with a great deal of concern and trepidation," Ms Plibersek told reporters in Sydney.
She also called on China to take steps to prevent a very dangerous situation emerging and urge the North Korean regime to stand down.
The prime minister says the government welcomes China's intention to implement sanctions.
"We will continue to work with our ally and partners to change North Korea's behaviour and deter it from threatening the region and the world with illegal weapons," he said.
