Lee Jae-yong Personally Oversees Israel... Korean Companies Also Closely Watching Amid War Outbreak

As the armed conflict between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Israeli military continues into its second day, domestic companies operating in Israel are closely monitoring the local situation.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to the business community on the 8th, Samsung Electronics has switched to remote work for its local employees' safety and activated an emergency communication network between headquarters and the local office to monitor the situation. There are hundreds of employees on site, including about 10 Korean expatriates, and no damages have been reported so far.

Samsung operates research and development (R&D) centers in Israel, including Samsung Research Israel, to secure future cutting-edge technologies. Its sales corporation and research institute are located near Tel Aviv. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the Israeli R&D center on the 28th of last month to receive updates on innovative startups and new technology investments and to review plans for securing innovative technologies through open innovation.

LG Electronics, which has a sales branch in Tel Aviv, Israel, has also switched all local employees to remote work and is regularly checking on their safety at the branch level. So far, no harm has been reported to employees or their families.

Hyundai Motor Group is also closely watching the situation in Israel. Hyundai Motor and Kia hold the first and second largest shares of the Israeli automobile market. There have been no reports of damage to dealerships, showrooms, or vehicles due to the current conflict.

Photo by Korean Air website

Korean Air will not operate the flight KE957 from Incheon to Tel Aviv, Israel, scheduled to depart on the 9th. However, to facilitate the return of those staying in Israel, Korean Air is considering delaying the departure time of flight KE958 from Tel Aviv to Incheon on the 9th after assessing the safety situation at the local airport.

Korean Air operates direct flights between Incheon and Tel Aviv three times a week. Depending on the local situation, the airline plans to discuss whether to suspend flights scheduled after the 11th.

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