The first case of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) at Samsung's semiconductor manufacturing plant in Yongin, Seoul, was confirmed earlier today, according to Yonhap News Agency.
This is the first case of a Samsung employee at the Giheung semiconductor factory in Yongin to test positive, but it is not the first SARS-CoV-2 case to have been reported within the factory's perimeter. Roughly one month ago, a cafeteria worker at the Gigeung plant had also tested positive, but this was an employee of a contractor firm.
As yet, there's no news on whether or not the plant will be shutting down
Samsung's employee is in his 20s and he's a resident of Hwaseong. He began showing symptoms last week. According to the source citing the Hwaseong city government, the worker tested positive on Sunday. Samsung immediately sent his colleagues home and disinfected the workplace, but as yet, it's unclear whether the company will shut down its plant.
The company may have found itself in a difficult spot. While smartphone sales are expected to drop this year, with the Galaxy S20 series standing as proof of that, the company's semiconductor business is expected to grow even amid the coronavirus pandemic. Having to shut down its chip production lines would probably set the company back in one of its most hopeful business sectors during the economic fallout.
