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What is meant by peace? Nowadays, the idea of peace is recognized as a universal value for human-being, and it is a principle under international law to settle the international disputes peacefully. However, there are various opinions on what peace or ‘peaceful’ means. It is accepted that in dictionary, peace means a state of tranquility or calmness, in other words a state in which there is no war or conflict. Thus, the fact that disputes must be resolved by peaceful means in the international community means that they should not be resolved through war or the use of force. Under the title of ‘peaceful use of the ocean’, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates in Article 301, in the exercise of rights and obligations under this Convention, “State Parties shall refrain from any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.” If this provision is strictly interpreted, it is said that activities that do not threaten or use force in the sea are to be allowed. Whereas if ‘peaceful’ is interpreted as non-military, all military activities in the sea are viewed as contrary to the peaceful use of the sea. The peaceful uses of the ocean should be interpreted and applied differently depending on the maritime jurisdiction. First of all, in the High Seas military activities other than those prohibited under international law, such as the prohibition of nuclear weapons testing, should be allowed in accordance with the principle of freedom of High Seas. However, the scope of military activities prohibited because of peaceful purposes is more extensive in the territorial seas or the EEZ where sovereignty or sovereign rights of coastal States are exercised respectively. In other words, military activities that are not harmless, such as training or practicing weapons that are likely to harm the peace of coastal States, are strictly prohibited in territorial waters. And in the EEZ each country can exercise its rights with ‘due regard’ to the rights and duties of the coastal States, coastal States may restrict military activities by claiming that other countries’ activities violate their rights. Nevertheless military activities at the defensive level of national securities, especially intelligence-gathering activities, need to be widely allowed to the extent that they do not disturb international peace. To maintain peace and security at sea, international efforts are to be required to reach an arrangement on what scope of military activities are permitted and what activities are specially contrary to the peaceful uses of the ocean.