Lee Jae-yong Returns from 3-Day Business Trip to China, Undergoes COVID-19 Test 3 Times 'Record'

After completing his first business trip to China since the COVID-19 situation, Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, is returning to Seoul through the Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) on the 19th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, returned to Korea on the 19th after a 3-day, 2-night business trip to China, leaving a remarkable record of undergoing COVID-19 diagnostic tests three times during the short schedule.

According to industry sources on the 19th, Vice Chairman Lee arrived at the Gimpo International Airport Business Center (SGBAC) in the afternoon on a Samsung Electronics private jet, and without responding to reporters' questions, he immediately moved to a government-designated temporary living facility.

Jin Gyo-young, President of Samsung Electronics Memory Business Division, and Park Hak-gyu, President of DS Division Management Support Office, who accompanied Vice Chairman Lee, also entered the country together.

Wearing masks, Vice Chairman Lee and his party entered the arrival hall, which was cordoned off with access control lines, and followed the instructions of the guidance staff to exit the airport entrance, then took a bus to a nearby temporary living facility to undergo a COVID-19 diagnostic test. It is reported that they will wait for about six hours until the results come out. During the waiting period, water and lunch boxes are provided by facility staff who ring the bell and leave them at the door.

The reason they did not go straight home to start self-quarantine after returning is in accordance with government guidelines applied to entrants who have important business purposes, academic, or humanitarian activities.

After completing his first business trip to China since the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, returned to Seoul on the 19th through the Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) and is boarding a vehicle. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

If all members of Vice Chairman Lee's party test negative for COVID-19, they will be able to return to work from the 20th, but for the following 14 days, they must strictly comply with the so-called 'active monitoring' obligations.

They must enter their health status (fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath) daily through the 'Mobile Self-Diagnosis App' installed on their mobile phones, and confirm their health status through at least one phone call daily with quarantine authorities.

Vice Chairman Lee underwent COVID-19 diagnostic tests twice during the process of entering China. In total, he took three COVID-19 diagnostic tests solely for his visit to the semiconductor site in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.

One test was conducted during the issuance of a health status certificate before departure, and another PCR test and other COVID-19 quarantine procedures were carried out immediately after entering China.

Korea and China agreed to establish a 'fast track (simplified entry procedure)' to minimize quarantine for Korean businesspeople entering China while adhering to quarantine principles to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring essential economic activities, which has been in effect since the 1st of this month.

Vice Chairman Lee and his party, who arrived in China on the afternoon of the 17th, reportedly waited in their respective hotel rooms until the test results came out. During that time, they could neither move nor meet other ordinary people, and only after receiving a 'negative' result could they start their business trip schedule.

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