North Korea claimed Monday that the United States pulled strings on a controversial deal between South Korea and Japan over Tokyo's wartime sex slaves in a bid to strengthen its alliance with the two countries.

In December, Seoul and Tokyo reached a landmark deal to resolve the issue of Japan's coercion of Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II. But some of surviving South Korean victims accused their government of failing to obtain Japan's acknowledgment of legal responsibility and rashly reaching the deal without consulting them.

"The U.S. placated South Korea and Japan and forced them to sit in front of a negotiating table over the issue," the Korean Central News Agency said. "The agreement was reached, masterminded by the White House which is seeking to use the two allies as storm troops for its control over Asia."

The North's claim came as the United Nations Security Council is working on a fresh resolution for stronger sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear test on Jan. 6.

Washington's B-52 strategic bomber flew over South Korea on Jan. 10 in a show of force. The plane is armed with nuclear missiles and "bunker buster" bombs that are capable of bombarding North Korea's underground facilities.

The KCNA claimed that the U.S. move demonstrated its intention to attack North Korea and further control the Asia-Pacific region.

North Korea earlier condemned the Seoul-Tokyo deal on sex slaves, calling it a "humiliating agreement" that missed holding the Japanese state responsible for such atrocities. (Yonhap)