By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 2, 2:59 AM ET

SEOUL, South Korea - Tens of thousands of auto workers in South Korea went on strike Wednesday to oppose the government‘s lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at Hyundai Motor Co. planned to do the same later in the day.

The government has billed the planned work stoppage as an "illegal and political" strike unrelated to working conditions. But KCTU says it wants to protect its members and other people from mad cow disease.

Lee said his group plans to launch a nationwide consumer campaign to boycott American beef.

Hyundai‘s union said it is... // Westfall Weekly News

Tens of thousands of auto workers in South Korea went on strike Wednesday to oppose the government's lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports.

Partial walkouts at Kia Motors Corp. and South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., were the centerpiece of a one-day strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to protest U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak. U.S. beef returned to South Korean store shelves Tuesday under a new import agreement.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at Hyundai Motor Co. planned to do the same later in the day.

The 600,000-member KCTU said about 130,000 workers across the nation... // Conde Nast Portfolio

SEOUL, South Korea - Tens of thousands of auto workers in South Korea went on strike Wednesday to oppose the government's lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports.

Partial walkouts at Kia Motors Corp. and South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., were the centerpiece of a one-day strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to protest U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak. U.S. beef returned to South Korean store shelves Tuesday under a new import agreement.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at Hyundai Motor Co. planned to do the same later in the day.

The 600,000-member KCTU said about 130,000... // Maximum Edge

Centre Daily Times (Enlarge photo)

Tens of thousands of South Korean auto workers went on strike Wednesday to oppose U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak, joining anti-government protests that have raged for weeks.

South Korean pastors are blocked by riot police officers as they try to march toward the Presidential House protesting against U.S. beef imports in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. South Korea's government vowed to use... // Centre Daily Times

The Associated Press (Enlarge photo)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Tens of thousands of auto workers in South Korea went on strike Wednesday to oppose the government's lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports.

Partial walkouts at Kia Motors Corp. and South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., were the centerpiece of a one-day strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to protest U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak. U.S. beef returned to South Korean store shelves Tuesday under a new import agreement.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at Hyundai Motor Co. planned to do the same later in the day.

The 600,000-member KCTU said about 130,000... // The Associated Press

Partial walkouts at Kia Motors Corp. and South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., were the centerpiece of a one-day strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to protest U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak. U.S. beef returned to South Korean store shelves Tuesday under a new import agreement.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at... // USA Today

South Korean pastors scuffle with riot police officers as they try to march toward the Presidential House protesting against U.S. beef imports in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. South Korea's government vowed to use "all means" possible to end violent anti-government protests, saying Tuesday that the daily rallies were putting further strains on the nation's already troubled economy. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)

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Tens of thousands of South Korean auto workers went on strike Wednesday to oppose U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak, joining anti-government protests that have raged for weeks.

The walkout came a day after American beef went on sale in one store, where the owner says the meat was... // BlueRidgeNow.com

The Associated Press (Enlarge photo)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Tens of thousands of auto workers in South Korea went on strike Wednesday to oppose the government's lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports.

Partial walkouts at Kia Motors Corp. and South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., were the centerpiece of a one-day strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to protest U.S. beef imports and the pro-business policies of President Lee Myung-bak. U.S. beef returned to South Korean store shelves Tuesday under a new import agreement.

About 20,000 workers at Kia Motors Corp. stopped work for two hours, union officials said. Some 13,000 other Kia workers on the night shift and about 45,000 union members at Hyundai Motor Co. planned to do the same later in the day.

The 600,000-member KCTU said about 130,000... // The Associated Press