North Korea’s Ambassador to the United Nations accused the United States and South Korea of provoking war. In a rare news conference, Ambassador Sin Son Ho said his country was not responsible for the March 26 sinking of a South Korean navy ship and threatened military “follow up” if the Security Council decides to condemn or punish Pyongyang over the incident.

The tough talk comes a day after South Korean officials briefed the Security Council on their findings from a multi-national investigation, which they say proves that a North Korean Midget submarine fired a torpedo at the corvette Cheonan, killing 46 sailors. The South Korean co-chair of the investigation team, Yoon Duk-Yong said, “We hope that on the basis of these findings the Security council will take timely and appropriate measures against the provocation of North Korea.”

Ambassador Sin called the investigation, which included U.S. involvement, a “complete fabrication” and demanded that South Korea allow a North Korean investigating team to visit the site of the incident to determine the cause of the tragedy. So far Seoul has turned down such a request. “If South Korean authorities have nothing to hide, there is no reason for them not to accept our investigation group,” Sin said, adding that the South Korean investigation is “some kind of fiction.”

The ambassador suggested that the U.S. and South Korea had political motives to cause such an international dispute, hinting that the warship could have been sunk intentionally, and if it was an accident, he said it still gave Pyongyang’s enemies an excuse to stir up trouble. Regardless of the motivation, Ambassador Sin said, “Our people and our army will smash out aggressors if they dare to provoke us, despite our repeated demands and warnings.”

During yesterday’s meeting at the U.N., the North Koreans told Security Council members that they were wrongly accused and a victim of aggression from their enemies. Ambassador Sin repeated this claim and warned that tensions are extremely high on the Korean peninsula. “Today is a touch-and-go situation and war can break out at any time due to reckless behavior of South Korea,” he said.

The President of the Security Council, Mexican Ambassador to the U.N. Claude Heller said that discussion over the incident will continue in the council. The United States, South Korea, and Japan hope the 15-nation council rebukes North Korea. But veto-wielding council member China, a political and economic partner of Pyongyang, has not endorsed the findings of the investigation and does not want to hurt its ally.

“If any action is taken against us by the Security Council, I lose my job,” Sin quipped, and the North Korean “military will have its own job” as a repercussion.