One worker at Hyundai Motor's No. 2 Ulsan plant was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus Friday morning, immediately prompting a suspension of the plant that employs four thousand employees.

The company said it carried out emergency quarantine measures right away and is trying to identify other workers who may have come into close contact with the patient so they can also be tested.

The same Ulsan plant, along with other Hyundai plants, previously halted operations earlier this month due to a shortage of auto parts amid the suspension of Chinese partner firms affected by the outbreak.

The latest shutdown is a more serious situation as it relates to a direct infection.

Workers stand along conveyor belts in automobile assembly lines, and it's difficult to predict how far the virus may have spread within the factory.

Ulsan reported its first COVID-19 case last Saturday and it was feared it may have an effect on the city's three leading sectors of autos, shipbuilding and petrochemicals.

Accordingly, workplaces have been setting up stringent quarantine measures.