Hyundai Motor Co. and its labor union said Saturday they reached an agreement to resume operations at one of its plants, 39 hours after unionized workers walked off their jobs because of a colleague's death.

   Assembly workers at the top automaker's plant in Asan, about 100 kilometers southwest of Seoul, had laid down their tools on Thursday, claiming that a union worker committed suicide due to the company's "suppression" of union activities. In his suicide note, the union worker blamed Hyundai Motor's management for interrupting his duties as a union representative.

   The two sides settled their talks earlier Saturday and agreed to cooperate on a number of agendas -- including compensation for the union worker and his family, and guaranteed activities for union workers who abide by labor union rules. Upon the agreement, the labor union held a meeting with members on the settlement and said it will resume plant operations.   

The settlement came amid growing concerns over the automotive giant's output. Hyundai Motor suffered a production cut last month when a key supplier staged a weeklong strike, which resulted in the disruption of the production of 6,610 units.

   Hyundai Motor's Asan plant builds mid-size Sonata and Grandeur sedans and has an annual capacity of 240,000 units, according to the company. (Yonhap News)