NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

One of the South Korean evacuees from Wuhan, China quarantined at a temporary facility in Chungcheongnamdo Province has been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus. This 28-year-old was a workplace colleague of the 13th confirmed patient.
Hyundai Motor has suspended most of its domestic assembly plants due to a lack of auto parts from China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Just one plant in Jeonju remains open. Hyundai's affiliate Kia Motors will also halt production on Monday and decide when to resume operation after consulting with the labor union. Another automaker, Ssangyong Motor, has stopped production since Tuesday and will maintain the suspension until next Wednesday, while Renault Samsung Motors is expected to follow suit next Tuesday for 2 to 3 days of suspension.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki has vowed all-out efforts to normalize operations of auto parts manufacturers in China to help South Korean automakers suffering from parts shortage amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a related meeting, he also pledged efforts to secure alternative import channels.
The government believes quarantine conditions must first be met before production can resume in China, and in this light, will provide quarantine supplies to Chinese factories.