Buddhists from 2 Koreas to hold joint ceremony

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean Buddhist monks are heading to North Korea for a ceremony with monks there.

The one-day trip is meant to show the countries are continuing a civil exchange despite a bloody naval skirmish earlier this month. The clash off a disputed sea border left a North Korean dead and three others wounded.

South Korea's Unification Ministry says the monks' trip "shows that inter-Korean exchange and cooperation proceeds in a normal manner."

The ceremony at a North Korean temple marks the 908th anniversary of the death of a Buddhist sect's founder.

Monks from the two Koreas have held the annual ceremony there since 2005, except last year when inter-Korean ties soured.