Seoul, Dec 7 : The South Korean Air Force launched a surprise operation on Tuesday to install an anti-missile radar on a mountain in Busan city, sparking angry protests from residents concerned about potential health hazards from the radar’s electromagnetic waves.
Police clashed with a group of protesters early Tuesday on Mt.##@## Four people were arrested after clashing with police in Busan, about 450km southeast of Seoul.The Air Force installed a Green Pine land-based radar around 6 a.m.Yonhap News Agency reports.
Four people were arrested following repeated dispersion orders.
“We condemn the Defence Ministry for pushing ahead with the radar installation which the residents object to,” a representative of the protesting group said.
The Air Force did not notify local authorities of the operation in advance in an apparent attempt to avoid obstruction from local resident and activists, who have raised concerns over potentially harmful effects of electromagnetic waves from the radar.
The Air Force has insisted that electromagnetic waves from the radar, used to detect and trace ballistic missiles, were unharmful and that the equipment was essential in responding to missile threats.
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