LG's factory in South Africa looted, burned

An LG Electronics' factory in South Africa is looted on July 12. [YONHAP]

An LG Electronics’ factory in South Africa was plundered and set ablaze Monday by violent rioters protesting the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.

About 90 rioters broke into the factory in Cornubia, north of Durban, at 1 a.m. on July 12 to steal appliances made at the factory, followed by 120 more at 2 a.m., according to Korean Embassy in South Africa.

An LG Electronics' factory in South Africa is looted on July 12. [YONHAP]

Scores of people were seen leaving with boxed televisions and home appliances against pillars of smoke rising in the sky in videos and photos shared online.

“The looting took place in the early morning on July 12 and the looters took away products and other equipment and resources,” a source at LG Electronics said. “They set fire to the building in the afternoon,” the source said.

No casualties were reported, the source added, and the company was unable to estimate the size of the damage for now.

The embassy issued a warning to South Korean residents.

“The embassy is working with law enforcement agencies to solve the problem and protect Korean residents,” it noted in a statement, adding that a shop run by a Korean resident was looted at 8 a.m. on Monday.

The LG factory is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, the former president’s birthplace and center of the unrest.

Riots spread to the country's main economic hub of Johannesburg, leaving at least six people dead and over 200 detained.

A number of supermarkets across the country have fallen victim to looters.

LG Electronics relocated its manufacturing and distribution facility from Johannesburg to Durban last year and has around 100 employees.

The production line primarily produces televisions and monitors.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]