Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has hit back at "reckless" North Korea after the reclusive country described Australia's decision to participate in joint military exercises with the US and South Korea as a "suicidal act".

Key points: North Korea says Australia should focus on peace, not war games

North Korea says Australia should focus on peace, not war games Turnbull says "all countries" must help "bring North Korea to its senses"

Turnbull says "all countries" must help "bring North Korea to its senses" Army denies any risk to ADF members participating in war games

Thousands of US and South Korean military personnel are beginning an annual military exercise, which will include Australian involvement in computer-simulated drills.

In a statement dated two days ago, North Korea's official news agency said the Australian Government should be focused on maintaining the peace of its own country, instead of joining the US in moves towards nuclear war.

Sorry, this video has expired Jonathan Cheng, the Seoul bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, discusses North Korea's warning.

It has described Australia's move as suicidal, inviting disaster and "an illustration of political immaturity unaware of the seriousness of the current situation".

"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," a translation of the editorial reads.

"Countries like Australia that join the military adventure against the DPRK, blindly following the US, will never avoid the counter-measures of justice by the DPRK."

Mr Turnbull responded by urging the international community to "bring North Korea to its senses".

"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 to the ABC.

"We call on all 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."

Deterrent against North Korean aggression

Defence Minister Marise Payne told the ABC just over two dozen ADF members would take part in the annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian war games.

Chief of Army Angus Campbell last week denied there would be any risk to the Australian military personnel participating in the war games.

The Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercises are scheduled to run from August 21 to August 31 and involve tens of thousands of American and South Korean troops on the ground and in the sea and air.

Both the US and South Korea have said the war games were defensive in nature and crucial to maintaining a deterrent against North Korean aggression.

According to the US Department of Defence, the annual activity involves about 40,000 troops, along with civilian South Korean Government personnel who train their civil defence responses.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week confirmed Australia would join the US in any conflict with North Korea if it carried out its threat to fire missiles towards the strategic American territory of Guam in the Pacific.