A firefighter shows a shark-repelling device. /Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Fire Department

Busan's popular Haeundae Beach will introduce shark-repelling devices this summer. Busan Metropolitan City Fire Department said Monday it will buy from Australia devices that drive away sharks and install them on the Haeundae Beach after man-eating sharks including great whites were reported near the coast. The devices repel sharks by emitting 11.1 v, 1850 mAh electric currents.

They consist of a battery holder and a 2.2-meter string-shaped antenna and weigh 950 g. Once charged, they last six to seven hours. The W3 million (US$1=W1,265) devices give out electric pulses within a radius of 5-6 m. The fire department is test-running a device and plans to introduce two more between Thursday and Friday.

An official at the department said, "Though sharks have never appeared on Haeundae Beach, we adopted the device because violent sharks might come near the beach as global warming increases the sea temperature."

He said the intensity of the electricity currents the device produces is low for humans, causing little harm, but very strong for sea creatures like sharks.