A man described as a "loyal agent of North Korea" has been charged in Australia over the sale of weapons of mass destruction.

It is the first time anyone has been charged under the country's 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction Act.

Chan Han Choi, a 59-year-old naturalised Australian of Korean descent, allegedly tried to broker the sale of missile components, including software for the guidance systems of ballistic missiles, as well as the sale of coal to third parties in Indonesia and Vietnam, police said yesterday.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, referring to the case, said it is "vitally important that all nations work to enforce sanctions against North Korea".

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