UN urges "maximum restraint" by North, South Korea

UNITED NATIONS Nov 10 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is carefully monitoring the situation in Korea and urges the North and South to resolve any disputes they have through dialogue, a U.N. spokesman said on Tuesday.

"(Ban) is closely watching the situation on the Korean peninsula," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters when asked about an exchange of gunfire between between the rival Koreas in the Yellow Sea, the first such clash in seven years.

"He calls for maximum restraint by both parties. This incident highlights the need to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and in a peaceful manner," Haq said. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Doina Chiacu)