SEOUL - THE South Korean government said it was trying to end a crippling strike by truckers that has severely hit operations at the country's major port of Busan.

Transportation minister Chung Jong Hwan met in the southern port with cargo owners and transport companies, and urged them to 'engage actively in talks' with the union, the ministry said on Saturday.

'The representatives of management expressed their intention to do so as the root cause of the strike was the rise of diesel price,' the ministry said in a statement.

Thousands of South Korean truckers went on strike on Friday, demanding steps to cut energy costs or raise transport fees after the diesel price rose more than 30 per cent since the beginning of this year.

The number of truckers taking part in the action across the country doubled to more than 10,000 on Saturday, disrupting operations at Busan, Gwangyang and other ports, according to the ministry said.

Busan, through which 75 per cent of the country's shipping containers pass, remained severely affected on Saturday.

But some non-union members, who had stayed away due to fears of retaliation from striking workers, returned to work, a Busan official said by phone.

The strike is expected to affect 20 per cent of the transportation of shipping containers, according to the ministry.

The walk-out came despite a US$10 billion (S$14 billion) government package announced on Sunday, which includes tax rebates for 12.8 million people for one year and subsidies for low earners to buy fuel. It would also help truckers.

In 2003 a truckers' strike which began at the country's largest port of Busan spread nationwide and caused export losses estimated at US$540 million after strikers blocked ports and highways with their vehicles. -- AFP

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