S. Korean church scraps border Christmas lights plan

SEOUL (AFP) - A South Korean church group has scrapped plans to display Christmas lights near the border with North Korea after residents voiced fears Pyongyang might shell the illuminations, officials said on Tuesday.

The Military Evangelical Association of Korea had planned to set up the giant display on three tree-shaped steel towers on hills near the heavily-fortified border.

The proposal required approval from the defence ministry as the hills are within three kilometres of the frontier.

According to the ministry, local residents had protested the plan on the grounds it might provoke a military response from North Korea. As a result, the church group agreed last week to shelve the proposal.