By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

A court issued warrants Tuesday to detain 37 additional union members of Ssangyong Motor and one outside supporter for using violence or interfering with business, bringing the total number arrested to 64.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, investigating the occupation of Ssangyong's factory, initially sought warrants for 42 people involved. In issuing the warrants, the court cited the possibility of the 38 fleeing or destroying evidence.

Police had already arrested 26 people related to the strike.

Among the 64, 11 are not Ssangyong union workers. The prosecution and police are expanding their investigations into outside supporters who may have participated in the occupation and used violence outside the plant.

This is the largest arrest of people on public security charges in 12 years. In 1997, the Federation of Korean University Student Councils illegally occupied Yonsei University and 465 people were arrested with 438 indicted.

In a case involving labor issues similar to that of Ssangyong Motor, the Korea Construction Workers Union occupied POSCO headquarters in July 2006, with 58 of them being arrested.

meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr