South Korea asked the U.N. Security Council on Friday to take action to deter "further provocation by North Korea" following Pyongyang's alleged sinking of a South Korean naval vessel in March.

The request came in a letter from South Korea's U.N. Ambassador, Park In-kook, to Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, this month's president of the Security Council. A copy of the letter was obtained by Reuters.

"My government requests that the Security Council duly consider this matter and respond in a manner appropriate to the gravity of North Korea's military provocation in order to deter recurrence of any further provocation by North Korea," it said.

Reuters