Daewoo workers hunt boss in France

The three trade unionists intend to scour Europe for Mr Kim

Three South Korean union activists have arrived in France to search for Kim Woo-Choong, founder and former Chief Executive of the bankrupt car manufacturer Daewoo.

Mr Kim is being sought over his part in the financial scandal surrounding the collapse of Daewoo.

The three activists, Hwang Yee-Min, Yoo Man-Hyoung and Park Jum Kyu are planning to visit Interpol in Lyon later in the week and Nice, where Mr Kim has a residence.

Mr Kim has been missing since 1999

Violent protests over the mass lay-offs at Daewoo have been continuing at the company's main plant in South Korea.

Mr Kim disappeared abroad in 1999, after the collapse of Daewoo, the nation's second largest conglomerate.

The firm's downfall is said to have been accelerated by the channelling of billions of dollars from Daewoo coffers into secret accounts allegedly held in London by a firm named the British Financial Centre.

Doctored accounts

Executives at the Daewoo group are reported to have doctored documents in order to inflate the value of the firm's assets by up to 23 trillion won ($18.3bn).

The union activists believe that Mr Kim may be somewhere in Europe.

The government and prosecutors are not sincere about arresting Mr Kim

Unionist Yoo Man-Hyoung

"We are going to stay in Paris and if we don't find him here, we will search for him all around Europe," said Hwang Yee-Min.

They say that they are searching for Mr Kim themselves because they cannot rely on the authorities to do it.

"The government and prosecutors are not sincere about arresting Mr Kim," said Yoo Man-Hyoung.

Violent clashes

Meanwhile hundreds of labour activists have clashed with riot police in a fifth day of violent street protests at the company's main plant in Pupyong, 30km (18 miles) west of the capital Seoul.

Violence erupted after 4,000 riot police blocked a square where Daewoo workers and their supporters had planned to hold a mass rally.

Protesters are continuing to battle with police

Protesters burned tires, threw firebombs and broke the pavement into fist-sized rocks, which they hurled at police.

Some also attacked the police with steel pipes.

Speaking of the protests organiser Dan Byong-ho, head of the militant Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, said:

"The workers are the only victims of the government's wrong economic policy, we have no choice but to fight to survive."