KT shuts 2 buildings over a virus case, Samsung SDS too

A KT headquarters building on Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, is closed on Wednesday after a worker was found to be infected with the coronavirus. [YONHAP]

KT temporarily closed its two headquarters buildings on Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Thursday after one of its employees was found to be infected with the coronavirus.

The lockdown will last at least through the end of the weekend. KT will open the building once the government has given the company the green light.

KT said the health authorities will conduct contact tracing and that the company will decide the next steps based on the outcome of inspections.

The employee who contracted the coronavirus at the end of last month used to work in the East Building, although the person was at home when the test results became known.

The headquarters of Samsung SDS in Jamsil, southern Seoul, also went into a shut down on Thursday, following the determination that an employee at the IT service unit was infected with the virus.

Both the headquarters and the IT unit will be closed until at least the end of the weekend.

The worker was confirmed infected on Wednesday morning.

Samsung SDS may take further measures depending on the advice of the government authorities.

Samsung Electronics shut a refrigerator production line in Gwangju on Thursday after a driver of a partner company was found to have been infected with the coronavirus. The shutdown will last through the weekend.

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