A North Korean diplomat said Thursday that tensions on the Korean peninsula were running so high over the sinking of a South Korean warship that "war may break out at any moment."

In a speech to the international Conference on Disarmament, Ri Jang-Gon, deputy permanent representative for North Korea at the United Nations in Geneva, blamed the "grave situation" on South Korea and the United States.

"The present situation of the Korean peninsula is so grave that a war may break out at any moment," he said.

International investigators on May 20 announced their findings that a North Korean submarine had fired a heavy torpedo to sink the warship, in what has been described as the most serious act of aggression from the North since the Korean war 60 years ago.

Forty-six South Korean crew died when the warship sank near the disputed Yellow Sea border with the North in March in mysterious circumstances after a reported explosion.

South Korea has announced a series of reprisals including cutting off trade with its communist neighbour.

The North has denied involvement, and responded to the South's reprisals with threats of war.

Ri reiterated that North Korea had nothing to do with the sinking.

He claimed that North Koreans "were making their utmost efforts to attain the goal of a powerful and prosperous country by the year 2012" and needed a "peaceful environment" to do so.

"A peace treaty is the only successful and reasonable way for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he added.

The two countries have never reached a peace agreement since the 1950-53 war, relying on a tenuous Cold War era armistice.

However, he also warned that the North Korean people were "ready to promptly react to... various forms of tough measures including an all out war."

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on his way to an Asian security conference in Singapore that the United States and South Korea may hold additional military exercises in response to the alleged torpedoing of the ship.

Gates said there were no plans to deploy a US aircraft carrier as part of the exercises.

He was due to hold talks on the incident with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

In Geneva, the North Korean diplomat accused Seoul of trying to ignite a campaign against Pyongyang with an "anti-DPRK" policy intent on destroying exchanges and steps to reconciliation.

"The results of investigation made by South Korean regime is sheer fabrication based on assumptions guesses and supposition," said Ri.

South Korea's delegate retorted that the incident was a grave violation of the armistice agreement," adding that the evidence of an attack was "undeniable".

He said the statement in the UN's permanent arms control forum appeared to have been made "for propaganda purposes."

earlier related report
S.Korean defence chief leaves for security forum
Seoul (AFP) June 3, 2010 - South Korea's defence chief left for a security forum in Singapore on Thursday as Seoul stepped up its diplomatic campaign to haul North Korea in front of the UN Security Council.

Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young will meet with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa Saturday, his office said.

Kim will also hold a series of talks with the defence chiefs of other countries on the sideline of the three-day Asia Security Summit. South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak will give a keynote speech at the forum.

Tensions have soared since investigators concluded last month that a North Korean submarine sank a South Korean warship near the disputed sea border, prompting Seoul to announce a series of reprisals against Pyongyang.

The hardline state has furiously denied involvement and has responded to the reprisals, which include a trade suspension, with threats of war.

South Korea wants the UN Security Council to discuss the March sinking, which claimed 46 lives.

Security Council action needs backing from veto-wielding members Russia and China, which have traditionally been close to North Korea.

US President Barack Obama said Wednesday in a message to the Korea Society annual dinner in New York that he would work with South Korea to "deter aggression" and hold North Korea accountable for its torpedo attack.

"We will work with allies and partners to hold North Korea accountable, including at the United Nations Security Council, making it clear that security and respect for North Korea will never come through aggression, but only by upholding its obligations," he said.

In Singapore, Kim and Gates will discuss a joint response to North Korea and details of a major anti-submarine exercise to be staged by the allies next week in the Yellow Sea, the defence ministry said.

The four-day drill, which starts on Monday, will include a nuclear-powered US carrier while South Korea will send a 4,500-ton destroyer, a submarine and fighter jets, Yonhap news agency said.

The allies will test their abilities to fire cannon, drop anti-submarine bombs and intercept enemy communications, it said.