With the shutdown of the 200,000 tonnes-per-year cracker, SK Global Chemical's total ethylene output will fall to 670,000 tonnes per year, from 870,000 tonnes a year now, the company said in a statement.

Naphtha crackers breakdown petroleum feedstock naphtha to produce ethylene, a key ingredient for petrochemical products.

SK Global Chemical will focus instead on producing more packaging products, including packing adhesives and packaging materials for meat, the statement said.

The cracker, located in the southeastern city of Ulsan, started commercial operations in 1972.

In 2017, SK Global Chemical acquired Dow Chemical Co's ethylene acrylic acid (EAA) business to expand its range of high value-added chemical products.

(Reporting By Jane Chung; Editing by Tom Hogue)