Dozens of people were injured Sunday in a violent clash between riot police and union activists after a labor rally against the government-forced closure of debt-ridden firms.
This was the most violent labor protest since the government stepped up a wave of economic reforms last month to close non-viable firms and banks.
The reform drive gained speed last week when Daewoo Motor Co., the country's second largest carmaker, was declared bankrupt.
The battle erupted when thousands of police using shields formed human barricades across an eight-lane street in central Seoul to stop 20,000 workers.
About 2,000 activists wearing red mufflers hurled rocks or brandished steel pipes in a vicious battle, forcing police to retreat. Police immediately came back with truncheons, leaving dozens injured, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.
Several protestors and policemen, seen bleeding from their faces were taken by colleagues to nearby hospitals.
"Fight back," shouted union leaders through loudspeakers as protestors in back rows chanted anti-government slogans to the tune of traditional gongs and drums -- SEOUL (AFP)
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