Cyber security businesses faced a surprising and unwelcomed visit from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as they were planning to visit Middle East.

Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) is trying to hold a business conference in Dubai on the 8th where 10 cyber security businesses are planning to participate. 10 businesses such as Markany, Igloo Security, KTB Solution, Npcore, and etc. were planning to enter Middle East market, but they face a huge problem called MERS. Business conference is right around the corner, but there is a wide spread of panic in Korea due to MERS. Korea citizens are getting more uneasy and restless as the number of people who are infected to MERS increased to 18 as of June 1st.

Business CEOs and the person in charge who confirmed to participate in the conference are now worried about MERS infection after their visits in Dubai. Dubai is the greatest city in UAE where MERS occurred. Since incubation time can be up to 2 weeks, their international activities will be severely affected since their business trips. Some CEOs are seriously considering on not attending the business conference.

Dubai business conference is a part of follow-up measure that President Park Gun Hye is taking after her visits in 4 Middle Eastern countries in March. At that time Middle Eastern countries showed high interest in Korean information protection technologies that were able to handle cyber attacks as fast as possible.

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<What is MERS? It is a severe acute respiratory disease due to new type of Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) Since April of 2012 till now, there have been 1,154 people who were infected and 471 people died in 24 countries (European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control, 5/21/15 standard) 97.6% (1,126 people) of all people who were infected were from Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and etc Its fatality rate is 40% and incubation period is 2-14 days. >

MSIP launched ‘Global Cyber Security Partnership Conference’ on the 14th of May by gathering information protection businesses, system integration (SI), communication businesses, and related businesses. Dubai business conference is an event that MSIP ambitiously prepared for global expansion after launching Global Cyber Security Partnership Conference.

“Our original plan is to return after individual meetings with businesses and business conference at a hotel in Dubai on the 8th and 9th. But because MERS spread is very alarming, we have not decided yet to whether or not we are participating. People from our cooperative companies are stopping us from going on business trips to Dubai. Due to increase of number of MERS patients and lack of quarantine system, international activities will be affected after business trips even though we don’t become infected. Because export route is not going to be open any time soon, we are taking everything with careful measures.” One business CEO said about current conditions and thinking of many CEOs that were supposed to participate in the conference, but halting their decisions due to MERS.

MERS is a severe acute respiratory disease that is caused by infection of Corona Virus. It is a new type of a virus that was not present in people in the past, and its source of infection is currently unknown. It is reported however that there is a high percentage that people were infected with MERS through camels. There have been also cases where family members and medical staffs were infected through contacts. CDC reported on the 28th of May that they will monitor symptoms such as fever on every people that entered from Middle Eastern countries.

Staff Reporter Kim, Insoon | insoon@etnews.com