Will Domestic Companies See the Lifting of COVID-19 Related Entry Restrictions?

Samsung and LGD in talks with Vietnamese government
South Korean government considering support for multifaceted diplomatic negotiations
Countries may severely restrict entry to prevent infectious diseases

As the Malaysian government banned the entry of Korean nationals and foreign travelers from Korea starting at midnight on the 13th (local time) to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Malaysia Airlines counter at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport showed a quiet scene on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Yeongjongdo kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Amid the growing damage to domestic companies caused by entry restrictions on arrivals from Korea due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), major conglomerates are negotiating with governments of various countries for exceptional entry permits. As our government also embarks on diplomatic negotiations to seek new avenues for domestic companies, attention is focused on whether the COVID-19 restrictions at major overseas production bases, including Vietnam, can be lifted.

According to the business community on the 14th, the Vietnamese government allowed exceptional entry without quarantine for about 160 Samsung Display employees the day before.

Engineers who arrived at Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, submitted negative COVID-19 test certificates and entered the country. It is reported that entry was permitted as the Vietnamese government partially allowed their workspaces and accommodations to be separated from existing employees.

Earlier, Samsung Display had requested the Vietnamese government to allow entry for about 700 engineers and employees from headquarters to expand the local OLED (organic light-emitting diode) module factory. This was because the Vietnamese government decided at the end of last month to quarantine arrivals from Korea for two weeks, causing delays in local dispatches.

Samsung Display is reportedly conducting additional negotiations for the entry of the remaining 500 employees, raising expectations that entry restrictions for domestic companies may be partially eased.

In fact, LG Display is currently negotiating with the Vietnamese government regarding entry permits. An LG Display official said, “We are negotiating in various ways to send essential research and development personnel and operators who manage the overall factory to the local site.”

Our government has also stepped up support to lift entry restrictions together with domestic companies. President Moon Jae-in instructed at the 'Special Economic and Financial Situation Inspection Meeting' held at the Blue House the day before, “Discuss with international organizations so that exceptional entry measures for businesspeople holding government health certificates can become a standard model.”

However, despite efforts by our government and the business community, it remains uncertain whether governments of various countries will allow exceptional entry for all domestic businesspeople. There is concern that if the number of arrivals from Korea increases significantly, it could pose problems for their own COVID-19 prevention measures.

Meanwhile, as of today, the number of countries and regions that have closed their borders to Korea reaches over 120.

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