South Korean Ports Face ‘Major Disruption’ on Third Day of Truckers’ Strike

Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

[Yonhap headline: "Korean Ports Paralysed As Truckers Continue Strike"]

SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) – Korean ports faced a major disruption on Sunday when a nationwide strike by truck drivers entered its third day, dealing another blow to President Lee Myung-bak [Ri Myo'ng-pak], who is already scrambling to handle a controversial US beef agreement.

The freight loading rate at the country’s largest port of Busan dropped to 25 per cent of normal operation, officials at the Busan Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Office said.

The disruption followed a series of manufacturing suspensions nationwide. LG Electronics Inc., the world’s fourth-largest mobile phone maker, said Saturday it was forced to cease product shipments from its factory in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Likewise, major steel mills such as POSCO Co., Hyundai Steel Co. and Donguk Steel Mill Co. also had to cease shipments.

The Korea Cargo Transport Workers’ Union said all of its members will strike until the government lowers soaring gasoline prices and persuades their employers to increase their wages.

“One hundred per cent of our 13,000 union members are participating in the strike, and there many more non-unionized truckers participating,” said Park Sang-hyun from the transport workers’ union.

About 337,000 truck drivers are employed nationwide, but only 3 per cent of them are unionized, according to government data.

In the southeastern port of Busan, the number of containers loading export and import freight daily has dropped to 7,540 – 24 per cent of the normal operation of 30,511 containers – since the truckers walked out on Friday, according to the Busan port office.

Government officials were talking with the truckers’ union, but they have yet to produce an agreement.

Less than four months into office, the Lee administration is facing major challenges from a series of mass protests and labour strikes.

Tens of thousands of Koreans have taken to the streets since early May, opposing Seoul’s agreement with Washington to fully open Korea’s beef market to the US

South Korea and the US held their second day of beef talks in Washington on Saturday (Washington time), but failed to produce an agreement to address Koreans’ concerns over imports of US beef from older cattle that are more susceptible to mad cow disease.

The meeting between South Korea’s Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and US Trade Representative Susan Schwab will likely drag out until early next week, officials said.

Originally published by Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 0250 15 Jun 08.

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