SYDNEY, Australia — The federal police said Sunday that they had arrested an Australian man who was charged with acting as an economic agent for North Korea by trying to help the isolated country sell its missile parts and other military technology abroad.

The man, Chan Han Choi, 59, was arrested on Saturday in the Sydney suburb of Eastwood, where he lives. The police accused him of violating both United Nations sanctions and Australian law by attempting to conduct trade deals on behalf of North Korea — the first time such charges have been filed in Australia.

The arrest comes as tensions in the region have risen over a series of North Korean nuclear and missile tests, which have defied international sanctions aimed at curtailing the weapons programs.

Speaking to reporters, Neil Gaughan, the assistant commissioner for the Australian Federal Police, said Mr. Choi was charged with trying to broker the sale of missile components, including software for the guidance of ballistic missiles, and other unspecified North Korean military expertise to “international entities,” which he did not identify.