North Korea's U.N. envoy said on Tuesday that any U.N. Security Council action over the sinking of a South Korean naval ship that was hostile to Pyongyang would have a military "follow-up."

Seoul, which has accused North Korea of torpedoing the corvette Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 sailors, brought the dispute to the Security Council this month, asking the 15-nation body to take action to deter "further provocation."

"If the Security Council release any documents against us condemning or questioning us in any document then myself as diplomat I can do nothing, but the follow-up measures will be carried out by our military forces," North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Sin Son-ho told a rare news conference.

Sin was asked if he meant that North Korea would react with military action to the adoption of any resolution or statement by the council.

"I told you that if any action is taken by Security Council against us, I lose my job," he said. "Military will have its own job, I mean follow-up. I gave you the answer. You can prejudge what is the meaning I have told you."

On Tuesday, delegations from the South and North presented the council with their positions on the events of March 26.

The council's president, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, said after the two separate informal meetings that council members were "gravely concerned" about the incident and urged both sides to "refrain from any act that could escalate tensions in the region."

Sin reiterated Pyongyang's position that the South's allegations about March 26 are a "complete fabrication" and demanded that the North be allowed to send its own investigation crew to the site of the incident.

"This is indeed a funny story," he said of South Korea's investigation of the sinking. "Some kind of fiction."

"If the South Koreans have nothing to hide there is no reason for them not to accept our inspection group," he said.

Council diplomats say that South Korea is hoping the 15-nation body will rebuke the North. But North Korea's sole major ally, China, has a veto on the council and is reluctant to support any action or statement that would upset Pyongyang.

Reuters