The UN Security Council heard separate closed-door briefings Monday by rivals South Korea and North Korea on the sinking of a South Korean warship which Seoul blames on its Stalinist neighbor.

A South Korean team met with the 15 council envoys to present its evidence, including a video clip showing North Korean torpedo parts being salvaged from the sea and forensic evidence linking Pyongyang to the March raid which claimed 46 lives.

The one-hour presentation was to be followed by a separate briefing by the North Koreans to give their side of what is one of the deadliest incidents since the Korean War, diplomats said.

There was no word on the details of what the two sides put forward.

Seoul struck back by suspending most bilateral trade after a multinational investigation team concluded last month that a North Korean torpedo sank the Cheonan on March 26 with the loss of 46 lives.

In Seoul, a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier Monday the government "has confidence in those objective, scientific, transparent and thorough findings by the joint international investigation team."

Early this month, South Korea said in a letter to the Security Council that "based on material evidence obtained through scientific and objective investigation, it was determined that the sinking was caused by an underwater explosion by a torpedo made in North Korea."

It added that additional evidence "points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine. This corroborates that North Korea is responsible for the armed attack."

Pyongyang had warned the UN Security Council of "serious" consequences for peace if it debated the alleged torpedo attack without letting Pyongyang's own investigators examine the evidence.

Last week, Seoul formally asked the council to react to what it called military provocation by Pyongyang.

But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the council, have refused to cast judgement on the investigation until they can assess the findings themselves.

earlier related report
S.Korea's Lee vows to stick to stern North Korea policy
Seoul (AFP) June 14, 2010 - South Korea Monday vowed a stern response to North Korea's alleged sinking of a warship despite new threats from the North, as the two neighbours prepared to make their case to the United Nations.

President Lee Myung-Bak, in his first public speech since his party's defeat in June 2 local elections, said his government could make political concessions to rebuild its standing but none on security.

"Provocations for a second or third Cheonan could happen any time if we, together with the international community, do not sternly deal with North Korean wrongdoing and firmly prepare for security," he said.

The South announced its own reprisals including suspending most trade after a multinational investigation team concluded last month that a North Korean torpedo sank the Cheonan on March 26 with the loss of 46 lives.

It has installed loudspeakers along the tense border in preparation for a possible resumption of propaganda broadcasts and called on the UN Security Council to censure the North over the warship sinking.

North Korea Saturday threatened to shell the speakers and said it could turn Seoul "into a sea of flame", in what it termed a crucial declaration repeated on its official news agency Monday.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is so tense that an accidental single gunshot may trigger an all-out war," Yang Hyong-Sop, the vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, or parliament, was quoted as saying by the agency.

He said Seoul should "stop behaving recklessly" and warned it risked a "merciless punishment" by Pyongyang if it moved to punish or to retaliate against North Korea.

Both Koreas were to make their cases to the council in New York from 1900 GMT on Monday, foreign ministry officials in Seoul said.

Investigators from the South would brief council members on their findings while the North was scheduled to address them afterwards.

"The government has confidence in those objective, scientific, transparent and thorough findings by the joint international investigation team," said South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Kim Young-Sun.

"In the belief that facts speak for themselves, the government will handle it unwaveringly."

South Korea has yet to win support from Russia and China, both veto-wielding council members and traditionally friendly to the reclusive communist regime in the North, for the findings of its probe.

The South's military top brass has come under fire for its response to the attack and President Lee said Monday he would hold them accountable.

Lee Sang-Eui, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has offered to resign after state inspectors last week found him and 22 other military officers culpable, defence officials said.

The inspectors said last week the military had improperly handled the sinking despite prior warnings of possible attacks by the North's submarines near the disputed sea border.

They said they had uncovered multiple problems in combat prevention and preparedness, crisis management and management of military secrets.

The president also Monday hinted at compromise over some domestic policies after his Grand National Party secured only six out of 16 posts for provincial governors or city mayors nationwide in the June 2 elections.

"I take seriously the public sentiment shown through the elections this time," he said, pledging to reshuffle his presidential office and the cabinet.

"I will listen to the voice of change the people want."