DPRK's ambassador to the United Nations, Sin Son-ho, departs an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding tensions between North and South Korea at the UN Headquarters in New York Dec 19, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council failed on Sunday to reach an agreement on the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula after an emergency meeting.

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The gap in the 15-nation Security Council "is not likely to be bridged," Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, told reporters.

Meanwhile, Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his delegation still pursues the idea that the UN secretary-general immediately sends a special representative to Pyongyang and Seoul to calm down the mounting tensions.

"That idea of the secretary-general appointing an envoy did receive considerable support, strong support I could say from a number of members of the Security Council. So I hope that idea can still be pursued," he said. "Because now we have a situation of very serious political tension and no game plan on the diplomatic side."

Russia proposed the emergency meeting on Saturday.

The Security Council members on Sunday began their meeting behind closed doors shortly after 11 a.m. EST and heard a briefing from Lynn Pascoe, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Churkin said on Saturday the situation on the Korean Peninsula "directly affects the national security interests of the Russian Federation." Russia shares border with the DPRK.

"We are seriously concerned about possible further escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula," Churkin said. "We believe that the Security Council must send a restraining signal" to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea.