Seoul, June 28: Tens of thousands of riot police stormed university campuses and other places across South Korea today to break up a strike by railway workers, witnesses and news reports said. It is the first time the government of President Roh Moo-Hyun, who has faced criticism from businesses for perceived softness toward labor activism, has acted against illegal strikes since taking office in February.
Some 5,400 riot police burst into Yonsei University in central Seoul, where a few thousand railway workers were staging a sit-in, witnesses said.
Police hauled off 650 of the workers for questioning but the union president, Jeon Hwan-Kyu, and others were believed to be among some 3,000 workers who had fled the scene minutes before the police action.
Scores of young workers put up limited resistance, engaging in punching and kicking with riot policemen who wielded sticks and shields.
Police mounted several actions to break up the strikes in several other places including the second largest city of Busan, news reports said.
Railway authorities said 618 of the 5,000 striking workers had returned to work following the police actions.
The use of riot police came after thousands of unionised workers from the Korean National Railroad (KNR) went on strike early today, crippling train services.
Freight service was cut to one tenth and passenger service to some 27 per cent across the country today.
The union accused the government of breaching an earlier promise to consult workers over a plan to privatise the railways.
Bureau Report