UN, North Korea agree security situation 'most tense'
In a rare show of mutual consent, the United Nations and North Korea have both agreed that the current security situation in the Korean Peninsula is "the most tense and dangerous" in the world today.
UN's Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman wrapped up his four-day trip to North Korea, where he held a series of meetings with Pyongyang's officials, including Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho, on Friday.
The high-profile visit came amid increasing tensions in the region after North Korea conducted its latest ballistic missile test at the end of last month.
"They exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula and agreed that the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today," UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Saturday.
The UN diplomat Feltman noted that there is a need to "prevent miscalculations and open channels to reduce the risks of conflict".
North Korea said its latest test launch, condemned by China and the US, was the "most powerful ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile".
The launch was the first since September 15, when North Korea fired a ballistic missile over the Japanese island Hokkaido, eventually crashing into the Pacific Ocean.
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