Deal agreed to reduce Korea tensions

South Korea has halted its propaganda broadcasts into North Korea as part of a deal to defuse tension.

Seoul had begun the loudspeaker broadcasts, which infuriate Pyongyang, after a landmine at the border injured two of its soldiers earlier this month.

The tensions bubbled over in a brief exchange of fire at the heavily guarded border last Thursday.

The deal was reached after the North, which initially denied planting the mine, agreed to express "regret".

South Korea`s President Park Geun-hye said the deal "could serve as an occasion to resolve all inter-Korean issues through trust".

`No leaders` summit`

The late-night agreement came after marathon talks at the "truce village" of Panmunjom inside the demilitarised zone (DMZ).

A joint statement from the two countries - technically at war since the 1950s - said South Korea would stop the loudspeaker broadcasts at midday on Tuesday (03:00 GMT) - as North Korea had demanded.

The North agreed to end its "semi-state of war", pulling back troops deployed to the frontline.
Both countries have also agreed to work towards a resumption of reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, a recurring point of contention.

But South Korea`s Defence Minister Kim Min-seok said the South would "maintain its defence posture for the possibility of another provocation".

National security adviser and chief negotiator Kim Kwan-jin said there would be follow-up talks to discuss a range of issues on improving ties

But he said it was not the right time to push for a leaders` summit.