EJU ISLAND, South Korea -- To the South Korean military, this picturesque island is the perfect place to build a naval base: a strategic location guarding the country's southern flank from possible invasion. To its residents, its small-town feel, harbor and coral reefs make it close to perfect just the way it is.
The conflict between the two visions has turned into a South Korean David and Goliath story, with Mayor Kang Dong-kyun of the town of Gangjeong leading the majority of its 1,930 people in fighting the giant.
For years, Kang was a hardworking farmer who minded his own business, tending to his tangerine trees in the town where he was born. But since becoming mayor in 2007, Kang has rallied residents, who wage almost-daily protests.
Early this year, hundreds of protesters flew here as the navy and construction workers started blowing up coastal rocks. Several dozen demonstrators were hauled off to the police station.