Seoul ceases military drills along the border

SEOUL, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Seoul's defense ministry said that two Koreas has ceased all hostile acts against each other in land, air and sea from Thursday, as part of a military agreement between North and South Korea.

"Ceasing any hostile acts in land, air and sea, effective on Nov. 1 will contribute to easing tensions between the North and South and facilitate the process of trust building," said the ministry, in a statement.

"It's a meaningful step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and settlement for permanent peace," it said.

The two sides agreed to halt military drills aimed at each other along the border area. South Korea has stopped all live-fire artillery drills and field training exercises at the regiment level within 3 miles from the Military Demarcation Line.

The ministry said that it has ceased maritime exercises while covering the barrels of coastal artilleries and ship guns and closing all gunports in designated sea areas near the border.

It also designated no-fly zones in the eastern and western sides of the MDL.

Defense officials said that North has recently closed gun ports on the western coast as part of the military agreement.