U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is warning that even a slight miscalculation involving the tensions on the Korean peninsula could spiral into an "uncontrollable situation'' as he urged North Korea to tone down its "provocative'' rhetoric.

Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, also called on Pyongyang to restart work at the Kaesong industrial park near its border, the only remaining product of economic cooperation between the North and South Korea. North Korea on Tuesday pulled out more than 50,000 workers.

Speaking to reporters in Rome, Ban said the project ``should not be affected by political considerations. This is purely an economic thing.''

He said the tensions were "very dangerous'' and urged restraint: "If any small incident is caused by miscalculation or misjudgment, it may create an uncontrollable situation.''

(AP)