Global Companies Restrict Operations in Korea
25 February, 2020
Global companies with branch offices in Korea are restricting their businesses here or have even closed their offices temporarily.
Intel, the world's top semiconductor company, in a video conference with executives in Seoul on Sunday, your day the Korean government raised a red alert for coronavirus, made a decision to ask all staff in its Seoul offices to home based this week.
Intel Korea includes a staff of 150 to 200 at offices in Yeouido and Samseong-dong, Seoul. An Intel staffer said the time can be extended based on new developments.
Microsoft and Airbnb have also told their Korean staff to work from home. "Just a few staff came to the office today and went home soon after finishing urgent business," a Microsoft Korea executive said on Monday.
Google and Facebook in messages on Sunday and Monday urged staff within their Korean offices to home based if possible.
Some foreign companies already started canceling their executives' business trips to Korea 2-3 weeks hence. A branch office staffer of an American company said, "Executives at our headquarters in the U.S. have canceled trips to Korea for just one reason or another since late last month. None have come for days gone by three weeks."
"I was likely to attend several meetings in the U.S. and Singapore but was told that the meetings were canceled," said a staffer of another foreign company.
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