UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned against heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, offering his mediation to improve the situation.

The U.N. chief said it is important to "dial down the rhetoric and to dial up diplomacy" during a news conference in New York on Wednesday.

[Sound bite: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (English] 
"The solution to this crisis must be political. The potential consequences of military action are too horrific to even contemplate. Thank you."
"There are many possible avenues for these dialogue, from from various bilateral formations to the six-party talks. As tensions rise, so does the risk of misunderstandings, miscalculations or escalations and it is why it is so important to dial down the rhetoric and to dial up diplomacy."

Guterres said he told representatives from the two Koreas and other members of the stalled six-party talks that his offices are always available.

Guterres urged the international community to send a clear message to Pyongyang to comply with international obligations, reopen communications and deescalate the situation.

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