The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Seoul

A militant South Korean union grouping said more than 130,000 members would stage work stoppages from Wednesday against US beef imports, as religious leaders joined weeks of street protests.

President Lee Myung-Bak is struggling to end the rallies, which were sparked by fears of mad cow disease but are now increasingly driven by liberal opponents of his new conservative government. "We will stage an uncompromising struggle against the government, which ignores the people's right to health," the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said in a statement. A KCTU spokesman said Wednesday's partial strike would draw some 136,000 workers including those at the country's largest automaker Hyundai Motor and 29,000 workers at its affiliate Kia Motors.