South Korea warns unions over strikes

The South Korean government says it will deal sternly with illegal strikes by trade unions which threaten to disrupt the football World Cup finals.

It said any industrial action during the games would seriously undermine the image of South Korea.

The warning came as one of country's biggest trade unions, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said it was planning to launch a series of strikes this week in support of demands for improved working conditions and the scrapping of the government's plans to privatise state-run industries.

The Confederation has accused the government of cracking down on union activities and says it will not make any guarantees of halting the strikes.

South Korea is co-hosting the World Cup football final with Japan.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service