logo
LG unveils hall of fame to celebrate customer-driven innovation

LG unveils hall of fame to celebrate customer-driven innovation

Korea Herald10-04-2025

LG Group has inaugurated a hall of fame honoring life-changing innovations the conglomerate has achieved -- a symbolic gesture encapsulating Chair Koo Kwang-mo's management philosophy of prioritizing customer value.
The new installation was unveiled at the LG Academy in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, during the 2025 LG Awards on Wednesday.
It serves not only as a tribute to past recipients of the prestigious award, but also as a cultural beacon to inspire innovation and a customer-centric focus across the conglomerate's workforce.
'By bringing together the efforts of innovation accumulated over the years, we have established this hall of fame here at LG Academy,' the chairperson said at the event. 'The names and achievements inscribed here will serve as a guidebook and catalyst for many LG employees, inspiring challenge and passion.'
Koo reaffirmed the company's commitment to sustainable innovation, emphasizing, 'The journey toward creating distinctive future value will continue. The most important standard that must always be prioritized is the customer. Let us evolve LG's DNA of challenge and transformation, create new firsts and bests and shape a future where LG is even more loved by customers.'
Established in 2019 following Koo's succession, the LG Awards honor teams and individuals who have driven customer experience innovation through breakthrough products and services. Over the past seven editions, the awards have recognized 492 teams and over 4,000 employees.
The hall of fame displays plaques commemorating recipients of its "Grand Prize for Customer Delight." LG also plans to install dedicated award zones within its group affiliates, including renaming key meeting rooms after grand prize winners to foster pride and motivation among employees.
Award winners receive cash prizes and opportunities to attend overseas workshops for further development.
'While there are numerous strategic considerations amid growing global uncertainties such as tariff barriers, the foremost priority remains unwavering commitment to customer-driven innovation,' an LG Group official said.
This year's LG Awards honored 87 teams and 680 individuals, including three grand prize winners for customer delight, along with 39 for customer satisfaction and 45 for customer empathy.
The evaluation process was broadened to reflect diverse customer voices -- from homemakers and professionals to foreign nationals, millennials and Generation Z.
Employee participation in the judging process also increased from 10,000 last year to 14,000 this year, indicating deepening internal engagement.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

LG chief doubles down on EV battery push with Indonesia visit
LG chief doubles down on EV battery push with Indonesia visit

Korea Herald

time11 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

LG chief doubles down on EV battery push with Indonesia visit

From batteries to TVs, Koo Kwang-mo outlines LG's five-year strategy during India, Indonesia site tours LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo reaffirmed the conglomerate's commitment to growing its battery businesses as he visited HLI Green Power, a 50:50 battery joint venture by LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group in Indonesia, earlier this month. According to LG on Monday, Koo toured the battery cell production line at HLI Green Power and highlighted the need for solidarity and cooperation with partners to break through a stalled electric vehicle market. Located in Karawang, West Java, as the country's first EV battery manufacturing plant, HLI Green Power began operation in April last year with an annual production capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours, which is enough to power about 150,000 EVs. The joint battery plant posted a 96 percent yield rate within four months of the start of mass production. The LG chief called on the employees at the battery joint venture to gain a competitive edge and stand out in the market. Commemorating his visit, Koo wrote on a battery cell product that he hopes the battery foothold will become 'the heart of future mobility.' The visit to HLI Green followed Koo's remarks during a shareholders' meeting in March where he emphasized that LG will nurture the battery industry as a key business for itself and a future core industry for Korea. He previously visited an Ultium Cells factory, an EV battery joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors, in Tennessee in June last year. 'Although the EV chasm is lasting longer than expected and the competition (with Chinese battery makers) is heating up, (Koo's visit) shows his determination to thoroughly prepare for (post-EV-chasm) times even at a moment like this,' said an LG official. The LG chief then visited LG Electronics' production and research and development offices as well as local retail stores for home appliances in Cibitung, West Java, to review the overall value chain. LG Electronics -- which produces TVs, monitors and signage at its Cibitung site for Asia, the Middle East and Africa -- established an R&D office near the Cibitung plant to mark the area as an outpost targeting the Indonesian and Southeast Asian markets. During his visit to the Cibitung plant, Koo inspected an autonomous production line for TVs and discussed LG Electronics' global R&D operational strategies for the future. The LG leader also went to Electronic City, a local retail store, to check the sales performance of LG Electronics' products, receive customer feedback about regional products, and inspect Chinese rivals' market strategies in the Southeast Asian home appliances market. 'While it is important to respond to competition, which is getting fiercer right now, we need to come up with strategies for our survival five years from now and identify the decisions we should make and where we should focus to secure our distinctive competitiveness,' said Koo in a meeting with local LG Electronics executives and employees in Jakarta.

LG chief visits Indonesia battery plant to inspect group's EV transition efforts
LG chief visits Indonesia battery plant to inspect group's EV transition efforts

Korea Herald

time15 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

LG chief visits Indonesia battery plant to inspect group's EV transition efforts

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo has visited Indonesia this month to inspect the group's battery manufacturing and research operations, according to the group Monday, underscoring efforts to strengthen its competitiveness amid a temporary slowdown in global electric vehicle demand. According to group officials, Koo toured the production lines of Hyundai LG Indonesia Green Power, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group, located near Jakarta, earlier this month. The 320,000 square-meter facility, with an annual capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours, is Indonesia's first EV battery cell plant and is a key pillar in LG's global battery production network. During the visit, Koo called on employees to focus on securing differentiated competitiveness for LG's batteries, particularly in comparison with global rivals, and emphasized the importance of close collaboration with partners to overcome the slowdown in global EV demand growth. As part of the visit, the LG chief also toured LG Electronics' production and research complex in Cibitung, West Java, where products such as TVs, monitors and signage systems are manufactured. Since establishing a local research unit next to the Cibitung plant in 2023, LG Electronics has built an integrated base that connects research, production and sales operations, using it as a base for targeting the broader Southeast Asian market. At LG Electronics' Jakarta sales office, Koo met with local executives to discuss customer needs, distribution trends and competitive dynamics in Southeast Asia. LG has been ramping up efforts to tap into growth opportunities in the so-called Global South that includes India, Indonesia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, seeking to ride the economic momentum in these emerging markets. (Yonhap)

Will new Nexo revive shrinking hydrogen mobility push?
Will new Nexo revive shrinking hydrogen mobility push?

Korea Herald

time5 days ago

  • Korea Herald

Will new Nexo revive shrinking hydrogen mobility push?

Hyundai set to boost hydrogen-driven eco-friendly transition with new fuel cell SUV, but market interest in hydrogen mobility remains low Hyundai Motor is set to launch the fully revamped Nexo as early as this month in Korea, seven years after introducing its sole fuel-cell-powered sport utility vehicle currently on the market. With improved performance and fuel efficiency over its predecessor, the new Nexo is positioned to lead Hyundai's initiative to drive the global transition to hydrogen mobility — a vision first outlined in 1998 by Chung Mong-koo, honorary chair and father of current Chair Chung Euisun. 'Nexo represents the essence of sustainable mobility proposed by Hyundai Motor,' said Chung Yoo-seok, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor, during the vehicle's unveiling at the Seoul Mobility Show in April. 'We will accelerate the expansion of the global hydrogen ecosystem beyond Korea's borders and aim to achieve our annual sales target of 11,000 units.' However, recent market conditions cast uncertainty over the ambitions of the world's leading hydrogen vehicle maker. Declining demand for fuel cells In recent years, Korea's fuel-cell electric vehicle market has declined. According to SNE Research, sales dropped from 10,336 vehicles in 2022 to 3,688 in 2024, marking a 65 percent decrease. This downturn reflects deeper structural challenges for FCEVs, rather than a temporary pause, as the transition to eco-friendly mobility is increasingly driven by battery electric vehicles, experts said. 'Many consumers are still hesitant even about EVs, which are far more familiar,' said an industry source who requested anonymity. 'So it's no surprise that skepticism runs even deeper when it comes to hydrogen.' Limited charging access and high hydrogen fuel prices also remain major hurdles for fuel cell mobility. Korea has around 221 hydrogen stations — more than Japan, the US or Germany — but drivers still face inconvenience when refueling. 'Due to amplified safety concerns, strict regulations have resulted in limited station hours and the placement of stations far from residential areas, even though such risks can be mitigated through multiple layers of safety measures,' said Lee Ho-geun, professor of automotive engineering at Daeduk University. Amid these ongoing challenges, the launch of the new model is expected to have a limited impact on the market. Hyundai sold around 750 FCEVs domestically in the first quarter of 2025, and projections suggest that total annual sales may remain close to last year's levels despite the new launch. The global market also shows limited reason for optimism, with only Hyundai and Toyota currently active in the passenger hydrogen vehicle segment. Worldwide sales of FCEVs dropped from 20,704 sales in 2022 to 12,866 in 2024. The decline appears sharper in the passenger segment because China, which has grown to account for 55 percent of global FCEV sales, remains focused mainly on commercial rather than private vehicles. 'Globally, the eco-friendly vehicle market is still largely driven by government policies, such as subsidies, since automakers have yet to achieve the cost and performance competitiveness needed to rival internal combustion engine models,' said Lee. 'Because many countries want to protect their local industries and lack proprietary hydrogen vehicle technology, they are not actively pursuing policies to adopt these vehicles.' Staunch commitment, but long road ahead Despite the discouraging outlook for hydrogen, Hyundai Motor Group has strengthened its momentum in hydrogen mobility efforts since last year, aiming to retain its leading position in the hydrogen mobility era expected to follow EVs. In 2024, it integrated the fuel cell business of its parts-making unit, Hyundai Mobis, into Hyundai Motor Co. to boost synergy between hydrogen technology and vehicle manufacturing. Separately, the group established an overseeing team to complete the hydrogen business value chain, moving beyond a sole focus on fuel cell production. The group also forged partnerships with rivals Toyota and General Motors to collaborate on hydrogen strategies. 'We will work with global partners and harness our full capabilities across the hydrogen value chain to accelerate the adoption of a hydrogen-powered society,' emphasized the group's Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon at the World Hydrogen Summit 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in May. Lee also echoed Hyundai's expansion of cooperation with other companies, saying, 'Hyundai needs to expand the overall market by licensing some basic technologies to other automakers at minimal royalty fees.' However, Kim Pil-su, a car engineering professor at Daelim University, said yearslong efforts are still needed before fuel cell vehicles can become a profitable business. 'The hydrogen mobility sector still faces numerous challenges, including high costs and issues related to hydrogen generation, delivery and storage,' he said, noting that automakers in the US and Europe have abandoned plans to launch fuel-cell passenger cars. 'For hydrogen to be truly eco-friendly (to be widely accepted by countries), it must move beyond heavy reliance on fossil fuels for production. However, mass production through water electrolysis is expected to take over a decade.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store