London, March 20 (IANS): North Korea has the ability to fire a nuclear missile at "anytime", the country's ambassador to Britain Hyun Hak-bong has said.

"We don't say empty words. We mean what we mean. It is not the United States that has a monopoly on nuclear weapons strikes," Xinhua news agency quoted Hyun as saying in a rare interview with Britain's Sky News.

Asked whether North Korea has the capability now to fire a nuclear missile, he replied: "Anytime, anytime, yes."

"We are prepared," the ambassador noted. "That is why I say if a sparkle of a fire is made on the Korean peninsula, it will lead to a nuclear war."

"If the United States strikes us, we should strike back," he said

"We are ready for conventional war, with conventional war; we are ready for nuclear war, with nuclear war," he added.

Asked whether North Korea would "press the button" first, the ambassador said: "We are a peace-loving people. We do not want war, but we are not afraid of war. This is a policy of the government."