Thermal Imaging Cameras Breached... GS Home Shopping's First Domestic Workplace Shutdown (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporters Minyoung Cha, Seungjin Lee] The first case of a workplace closure in South Korea due to the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) has occurred. GS Home Shopping temporarily closed its headquarters after an employee tested positive, but criticism has arisen that the response was delayed.

On the afternoon of the 6th, GS Home Shopping stated in an official statement, "The employee who tested positive received a negative result from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 2nd of this month. The company implemented work-from-home and paid leave measures not only for this employee but also for the department they belong to, related departments, and suspected contacts."

The employee who tested positive was the 20th confirmed case in the country and a family member of the 15th confirmed case. They had not come to work since the suspicion of the 15th case on the 31st of last month and had been in home quarantine.

GS Home Shopping added, "After additional testing confirmed the positive diagnosis, the company prioritized employee safety and, to prepare for any emergency, took the measure of closing the workplace at the headquarters building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul." They explained, "This measure was taken immediately upon confirmation that a headquarters employee was the 20th confirmed case today, and was decided after consultation with the Yeongdeungpo District Office and related agencies."

However, criticism has emerged among employees that since the risk of infection was recognized from the 30th of last month, the company did not take proactive measures such as prior notification or closing the daycare center. Also, although a thermal imaging camera was installed at the company’s main gate last week, it reportedly failed to detect symptoms in advance, increasing employees' anxiety.

Furthermore, despite learning of the positive diagnosis at midnight, the company did not close the workplace immediately, and only decided to close it at 1 p.m. after internal and external criticism continued, leading to accusations of a lax response.

In response, GS Home Shopping stated, "During this period, we will conduct thorough additional disinfection of the entire headquarters building and simultaneously carry out symptom checks for employees." They added, "We will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with related agencies to ensure thorough measures to prevent the spread of the disease nationwide."

The temporary closure period is from 1 p.m. on this day until 6 a.m. on the 8th. During this period, all GS Shop TV home shopping broadcasts will be reruns.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.