Seoul, Sep 20 (IANS): The North Korean Foreign Ministry on Monday slammed the US for transferring the technology of building nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, Pyongyang's state-run media reported.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the chief of the Foreign News Section of the Department of Press and Information of the Foreign Ministry as saying that the US decision was "extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of nuclear arms race".

The official noted that the White House decision "amounts to a stand that any country can spread nuclear technology if it is in its interests, and this shows that the US is the chief culprit toppling the international nuclear non-proliferation system", reports Xinhua news agency

The official further pointed out that "the US double-dealing attitude getting all the more pronounced after the emergence of the new administration erodes the universally-accepted international norm and order and seriously threatens the world peace and stability".

"We are closely looking into the background of the US recent decision and its prospect and will certainly take a corresponding counteraction in case it has even a little adverse impact on the security of our country," the official added.

Under the new security partnership unveiled on September 15 among Australia, the UK and the US, known as AUKUS, Canberra will build nuclear-powered submarines with American and British technology.