LEE KAP-YONG REMOVES HIS UNION HEADBAND IN SEOUL, 1998-07-23 (photo)

South Korean president of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Lee Kap-yong removes a union headband in central Seoul after announcing the KCTU had called off a general strike scheduled for July 23. After an all-night negotiating session with the government, the KCTU said they wanted to continue negotiations with the government in the hope that Hyundai Motors would delay planned lay offs. A decision to lay off 2,678 workers by Hyundai Motor sparked an outcry by union groups, which vowed to strike unless the company reversed its order. PB/JO/WS