UPDATE 1-Ssangyong to cut SUV production for 6-wks

(Adds production cut size, backgrounds, shares)

SEOUL May 20 (Reuters) - South Korean sport utility vehicle (SUV) maker Ssangyong Motor Co (003620.KS) said on Tuesday it planned to cut its SUV production for six weeks as record-breaking oil prices have hit sales of the gas-guzzlers.

Ssangyong, owned by China's SAIC Motor Corp (600104.SS), and the firm's labour the union have agreed to switch production from the current day-shift/night-shift system to just operate the night shift, Ssangyong said in a statement.

A Ssangyong official said the production cut would be started from Wednesday.

But the company does not have an estimates of the reduction of production volume yet, he added.

Earlier, Ssangyong said the maker of the Rexton SUV was in talks with unionised workers on how the maker of the Rexton SUV can scale back its SUV output.

Ssangyong's SUV sales in the first four months of the year dropped 32 percent to 25,305 units from 37,230 a year ago, according to company data.

Global sales of SUVs have been under pressure from record-breaking oil prices.

Shares in Ssangyong ended down 0.9 percent to 5,490 won, underperforming a 0.65 percent fall in the wider market .KS11. (Reporting by Cheon Jong-woo; Editing by Keiron Henderson)