North Korea on Saturday slammed earlier rumors of links to the Boston Marathon bombing last week, contending that it opposes all forms of terrorism.

“We stress again that we have no links to al-Qaida, and by signing on to international anti-terrorism agreements, continue to maintain a stance against any form of terrorism,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary. It was the North’s first mention of the bombing.

Ungrounded rumors had circulated over the motivation of the tragic attack, which occurred at the same time as heightened tension between the North on one side and the U.S. and South Korea on the other.

The conservative U.S. News website WND, for instance, suggested earlier last week that North Korea may be behind the bombing.

Heated debate over such rumors and calls to exercise prudence took place among South Korean bloggers as well, a phenomenon seen as reflecting the tense relations between the two Koreas upon Pyongyang’s repeated threats of a military attack that had escalated during the previous month.

The KCNA said Pyongyang would not hide behind terrorism if it ever feels the need to strike the U.S.

After the death of one of the two suspected bombers and the arrest of the other, news reports in the U.S. have suggested possible ties to al-Qaida, while U.S. President Barack Obama urged people not to rush to judgment about their motivations.

Pyongyang has been vocal about its opposition to terrorism, such as by officially stating its opposition to terrorism upon the 9/11 attack in 2001.

In June 2011, the North’s vice foreign minister Kim Song-gi expressed support to strengthening the international legal system against terrorism during an Asian-African legal conference in Sri Lanka.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)