Seoul, Feb 8 (IANS): A South Korean government panel has ordered the Air Force to compensate residents near an airfield for noise from aircraft operations, officials said on Tuesday.

The National Environmental Dispute Resolution Commission under the Ministry of Environment ruled the military should pay damages totalling 370.57 million won ($309,000) to 518 people in the central city of Cheongju, 140 km south of Seoul, affected by military airplane noise, reports Yonhap News Agency.

It is the commission's first compensation ruling on aircraft noise pollution.

About 2,500 residents there filed complaints with the commission three times from 2019 to 2021 claiming damages for noise pollution that occurred for three years from January 2016.

The Air Force argued it made efforts to reduce noise by minimizing engine power during training and avoiding densely populated areas.

But the commission recognized residents in areas affected by noise level above 80 wecpnl (weighted equivalent continuous perceived noise level) can suffer from emotional distress, according to previous court rulings.

The panel said it notified the applicants of the decision on January 17. Of the 2,500 applicants, those who were already compensated through court rulings or whose actual residence was not confirmed were excluded from the compensation.