<Anchor>

This is news about the mask. Today (3 days), 576 million masks were supplied nationwide. There are 133 mask factories all over the country that are constantly running their machines.

Reporter Kim Deok-hyun, (Yes, I'm at the Icheon mask manufacturing plant in Gyeonggi-do.) The time is getting close to 8:30.

<Reporter>

You'll hear the machines running side by side, and you'll see the busy movement of workers in sanitary suits behind me.

The plant has been in operation for over 24 months since last year.

Before the corona, about 150,000 were produced a day, but now they are up to 350,000 a day.

About half of the masks produced go to public retailers. Today, about 200,000 copies were sent to public retailers such as Public Home Shopping and Korea Post.

Employees work shifts in two groups, day and night, and they're getting tired but they're sweating to win the war with Corona.

<Anchor>

As the reporter said, half of the masks that are produced now go to public sales, so how does the factory handle pre-contracted cases?

<Reporter>

Existing customers do not have a backlash, but the factory is trying to secure the volume by acquiring the customer.

[Kim Kyung-sik / Director of Icheon Mask Factory: I don't have a problem selling masks, but I think I should supply a mask to the people first. There is some sense of mission. I work on production like that.]

As the government plans to increase the public sales rate to more than 50%, there are also expectations that the supply and demand of masks will improve. Among them, 500,000 masks sent by Shanghai City in China arrived at Incheon Airport and delivered to Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

(Video coverage: Seol Min-hwan, Video editing: Kim Jun-hee, Field progress: Kim Se-kyung)

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