As public fears over the oubreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome continue to grow, South Korea’s largest automaker, Hyundai Motor Group, has launched new emergency measures to curb the spread of the virus among its employees.

The group announced Monday that it has drawn up step-by-step guidelines to follow in the case of a MERS-related emergency and mandated all its subsidiaries to carry out daily checkups and take preventive measures.

Moreover, the group has distributed masks, hand sanitizers, thermometers and thermographic cameras to its headquarters, major offices and work sites to allow for prevention and early detection of the virus. 


The automaker took the measures after group chairman Chung Mong-koo instructed executives from its affiliates to make their best efforts to prevent the outbreak of MERS at their workplaces.

The group said it has also stepped up its surveillance of employees who have returned from business trips to the Middle East ― carrying out daily checkups and training department heads on quarantine guidelines to follow in case MERS symptoms are reported.

Hyundai Motor Co. vice chairman Yoon Yeo-chul and Kia Motors president and CEO Park Han-woo have been sent to the company’s Ulsan and Hwaseong factories respectively to examine the implementation of the measures.

“We are stepping up our efforts to prevent the spread of MERS across all of our affiliates. We will do all we can to ensure a detailed response every step of the way,” said a group official.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)