GS Home Shopping Employee Goes to Work with Unease, Empty Myeongdong Streets... Weekend Scenes of the New Coronavirus

First Company Closure 'GS Home Shopping' Returns to Normal Work from the 8th
Some Employees Consider Leave, Building Restricted to Public Access
Lotte Department Store Main Branch to Resume Operations on the 10th After Temporary Closure
Nearby Commercial Area Impacted, Myeongdong Street Sees Sparse Foot Traffic

Thermal imaging cameras installed in the lobby on the 1st floor of GS Home Shopping in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 9th. GS Home Shopping closed the workplace from the 6th until 6 a.m. on the 8th due to a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus among its employees.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] On the 9th, at the GS Home Shopping headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. GS Home Shopping, which had an employee confirmed with the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), closed its workplace for 41 hours from 1 p.m. on the 6th to 6 a.m. on the 8th. This is the first case of workplace closure in South Korea. Although it was the second day since normal attendance resumed, the employees' expressions were tense.

Most employees covered their faces with masks and passed through the thermal imaging camera in the first-floor lobby on their way to work. The 20th confirmed case, an employee at the headquarters, had worked until the 30th of last month, but there were criticisms that the thermal imaging camera failed to detect the fever. The employee, who is a family member of the 15th confirmed case, entered home quarantine on the 31st of last month and was confirmed positive on the 5th.

One employee leaving work after finishing a broadcast said, "They said they disinfected thoroughly, but I can't help feeling uneasy," adding, "Today is the weekend, so only employees involved in broadcasting came to work, but on Monday, when most employees come, many will feel anxious." Another employee on the way to work said, "I know some colleagues are considering taking leave," and added, "The atmosphere inside the company is unsettled."

After the confirmed case among employees, GS Home Shopping required employees to measure their temperature with a thermometer when coming to and leaving work. Also, access control notices stating "No entry except authorized personnel" were placed around the building to prohibit entry by anyone other than employees. Regarding this, a GS Home Shopping official explained, "The caf? on the first floor of the lobby was also closed to prevent the general public from coming," and added, "We will do our best to eliminate employees' anxiety through thorough daily disinfection."

On the afternoon of the 9th, the street in front of the Lotte Department Store main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul, was quiet. The Lotte Department Store main branch temporarily closed for three days after a confirmed COVID-19 case visited, and resumed operations on the 10th.

On the same afternoon, in front of the Lotte Department Store main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul. Only a notice announcing a temporary closure was posted at the main entrance of the department store, and the usual liveliness was nowhere to be seen. The Lotte Department Store main branch closed immediately upon confirmation that the 23rd confirmed case had visited on the 7th and resumed operations on the 10th. In front of the Lotte Department Store main branch that day, aside from some tourists carefully reading the notice unaware of the closure, there was no foot traffic at all.

When the Lotte Department Store main branch closed, the nearby commercial district was also affected. The Myeongdong street saw a decrease in foot traffic so severe that it was hard to believe it was a weekend. A street vendor in Myeongdong lamented, "Due to the novel coronavirus, tourists have decreased, and with Lotte Department Store, a must-visit spot for tourists, also closed, the foot traffic has completely stopped."

As the overall foot traffic decreased, the number of customers visiting the Shinsegae Department Store main branch near the Lotte Department Store main branch also declined. Some expected that Shinsegae Department Store would benefit from the closure of Lotte Department Store, but it appeared quieter than usual weekends. A Shinsegae Department Store staff member said, "It feels like about 10% fewer customers came compared to last weekend," and added, "Chinese tourists have noticeably decreased."

An official from the distribution industry said, "Minimizing customers' anxiety is the top priority right now," and explained, "It seems difficult for the foot traffic reduced by the impact of the novel coronavirus to recover anytime soon."

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