A senior UN envoy warned Saturday there was a grave risk that a miscalculation could trigger conflict with North Korea as he urged Pyongyang to keep communication channels open after a rare visit to the reclusive state.

Jeffrey Feltman’s trip to the North – the first by such a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010 – kicked off less than a week after Pyongyang said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the US.

The United Nations said Feltman met North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-Kuk and they "agreed that the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today".

Noting the "urgent need to prevent miscalculations and open channels to reduce the risks of conflict," Feltman said the international community was committed to finding a peaceful solution.

Feltman, the UN’s under secretary general for political affairs, also stressed the importance of full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions.