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Clashes erupt at S Korea car plant
South Korean riot police backed up by armour and helicopters, have clashed with hundreds of sacked auto workers who have been holed up in a car factory outside of Seoul for almost two months.
Several of the protesters used high-powered slingshots to fire nuts and bolts at police from factory rooftops as they tried to storm the Ssangyong motors car plant on Tuesday.
Some 3,000 riot police have been deployed to the plant at Pyeongtaek, about 70km south of Seoul, in an effort to clear up to 600 sacked workers who have occupied the factory's paint shop.
Ssangyong is South Korea's fifth-largest automaker and the occupation which began in late May has paralysed production at the plant.
Police first entered the factory on Monday after the company cut off water and gas supplies to the plant in an effort to force the workers to leave.
As they did so, protesters tried to block their path by setting light to vehicles and tyres while pelting police with shrapnel from catapults.
Job cuts
The workers began their occupation on May 21 in protest at job cuts designed as part of a restructuring plan to save the troubled carmaker.