PRESS DIGEST - South Korean newspapers - June 30

SEOUL, June 30 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of major South Korean newspapers on Monday, prepared by Reuters in Seoul. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not guarantee their accuracy.

DONG-A ILBO

The government will take strict measures on violent protests in accordance with the law such as spraying liquid with tear gas, the Justice Minister said on June 29.

Candlelit protests against the resumption of American beef imports continued over the weekend. About 15,000 protesters estimated by police attended the demonstration on June 28 and some of them clashed with the police.

South Korea is poised to raise its gas tariffs steadily from August due to a hike in import prices of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), according to the Finance Ministry.

CHOSUN ILBO

Some 57 percent of those surveyed by Chosun Ilbo said candlelit protests against U.S. beef imports should stop, with 67 percent of those thinking the objectives of the protest have changed from U.S. beef issues to other policies such as privatisation in public sectors.

MAEIL BUSINESS NEWSPAPER

South Korea is to employ emergency measures on high oil prices by stages, the government announced. For example, operation hours in entertainment businesses are expected to be curbed if crude oil prices are over $150 a barrel.

SK Energy (096770.KS), the country's top refiner, has secured a 20 percent stake in an 6,600 square kilometres oil field in Vietnam, the company announced.

KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY

The majority party Grand National Party (GNP) is considering a proposal to build a South Korean version of North Korea's Kaesong industrial park in Paju of Gyeonggi Province, in order to prompt North Korea's openness and for South Korean companies to use North Korean work force easily, an GNP official said.

A labour union of Hyundai Motor Corp (005380.KS) is set to join a general strike on July 2 for two hours, which is led by Metal Union, according to Metal Union.