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More conflict as Daewoo reopens

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8 March, 2001An arrest warrant via Interpol has been issued for the former carmaker's CEO, Kim Woo-choong.

KOREA,REP: Fighting between riot police and workers erupted once again when Korean carmaker Daewoo reopened its Pupyong plant, 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on March 7.
The company had closed the plant for three weeks claiming a growing inventory of unsold cars, but Daewoo union officials stated the real reason was company efforts to put an end to protests by laid off workers. On February 16, 2001, the company announced the dismissal of 1,785 workers at the Pupyong plant, where 4,327 have already been laid off since 1999. Management is introducing drastic restructuring measures in an attempt to make the financially troubled carmaker more attractive to foreign buyers, possibly General Motors and its partner Fiat.
Dan Byong-ho, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions insisted that not only would the protests continue but workers will be conducting nationwide demonstrations this month targetting Daewoo Motor and the government for forcing workers out of their jobs.
In a related story, according to BBC News, an international arrest warrant has been issued by South Korea via Interpol for the former Daewoo CEO, Kim Woo-choong, who is believed to have embezzled billions of dollars in company and public funds. The Daewoo trade union and the Korean Metal Workers' Federation launched a campaign to hunt him down and sent a three-man team to Europe where Kim is believed to be hiding. While in France, the three men visited Interpol headquarters in Lyon.