South Korea’s LG Electronics said on Wednesday it has decided to withdraw from exhibiting and participating in the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, citing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
The Mobile World Congress, an annual telecoms industry event that draws more than 100,000 visitors to Barcelona, will go ahead as planned on February 24-27 despite the international spread of a virus that has killed 490 people in mainland China.
Here is LG’s full statement on its withdrawal:
LG Electronics is closely monitoring the situation related to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was recently declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization as the virus continues to spread outside China.
With the safety of its employees and general public foremost in mind, LG has decided to withdraw from exhibiting and participating in MWC 2020 later this month in Barcelona, Spain. This decision will prevent needlessly exposing hundreds of LG employees to international travel, which most health experts have advised.
In lieu of its participation in MWC, LG will be holding separate events in the near future to announce its 2020 mobile products.
LG Electronics thanks its supporters and the public for their understanding during these difficult and challenging times.