South Korea to stage firing drills but avoid border

SOUTH KOREA will stage naval firing drills at 23 venues from today, but will exclude areas near the disputed sea border with North Korea, the military said.

The military plans to stage live-fire drills of the coast around the Korean peninsula from December 27 to 31, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.

But the firing exercise will not be held near the tense maritime border with the North on the Yellow Sea, according to coordinates given by the government.