Thousands of riot police stormed a university campus in Seoul Saturday morning to break up a sit-in by striking railway workers.

Some 5,400 police were sent to Yonsei University in western Seoul and dispersed about 3,500 union workers of the Korean National Railroad (KORAIL) who were staging a sit-in there.

As police moved in, protesters offered little resistance and many fled the campus. However, approximately 600 demonstrators were hauled off for questioning.

It is the first time the Roh Moo Hyun government has used force against striking workers since being inaugurated in February.

Armed with court-issued warrants, police also began a manhunt for 11 strike leaders, including KORAIL union Chairman Chun Wan-kyu.

The union went on strike in protest against a government-led reform plan that calls for transforming KORAIL, a government agency, into a state-invested corporation.