[Focus] Ryu Jae Chul Accelerates LG Electronics' Transformation from Home...

LG Electronics held the “LG WORLD PREMIERE” event under the theme “Innovation in Tune with You” on the 5th (local time) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Ryu Jae Chul, CEO of LG Electronics, took the stage as the keynote speaker and presented an “AI Experience” that connects customers’ everyday living spaces through a variety of empathetic AI-based solutions. He emphasized that the company is fully prepared to lead the era of “AI in Action.” Photo = LG Electronics

| Newswatch=Reporter Kim Jae-chang | Ryu Jae Chul's small rented room in Sillim-dong during his college years at Seoul National University became something of a “community lounge” for alumni from Dong-A High School. Having just graduated from high school and moved all the way to Seoul, many provincial students in their late teens constantly longed for a sense of warmth and belonging. Ryu’s tiny room was the perfect place to fill that emotional void.

Even without any special occasion, fellow alumni would gather at his place at all hours as if it were their own home. Ryu always welcomed them with a warm smile and never once showed irritation. His specialty was ramen, and when he served his spicy homemade ramen along with a glass of soju, it felt more satisfying than any lavish feast in the world.

A business executive who attended the same university recalled, “Thanks to Ryu, I was able to spend my difficult and lonely college years in warmth. Looking back, I feel sorry because we probably caused him a lot of inconvenience, but thanks to him, we were able to endure the harsh university life of the 1980s with a sense of romance and camaraderie.”

After graduating from university, Ryu joined GoldStar (now LG Electronics) in 1989 as a researcher at its home appliance laboratory. Since then, he has built his career exclusively in the home appliance sector, working on washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners, earning a reputation as a quintessential “LG man.”

At the end of last year, he was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO of LG Electronics, a move widely believed to have been backed by the strong trust of Koo Kwang-mo, chairman of LG Group.

However, despite becoming the top commander of LG Electronics after 36 years with the company, the business environment facing Ryu is far from easy. The prolonged downturn in the global TV and home appliance markets, coupled with the growing presence of Chinese competitors not only in the low-cost segment but increasingly in the premium market as well, presents major challenges.

In the era of artificial intelligence, the field Ryu has identified as LG Electronics’ future growth engine is robotics.

At the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in March, Ryu stated, “The pace of development in physical AI and robotics technology has far exceeded expectations. We will make this year the first year of the full-scale expansion of our robotics business and execute our detailed strategies with speed,” adding that the company would actively pursue B2B robotics businesses.

LG Electronics is also targeting the finished robotics market with its home robot, “LG CLOi.” First unveiled at CES 2026 in February, the robot is being advanced under the vision of “Zero Labor Home,” aimed at reducing household burdens and enhancing quality of life.

Ryu is also known for strongly emphasizing the importance of “bringing problems to light” in management. The philosophy is based on accurately identifying issues and their root causes, while fostering a corporate culture where employees can openly raise concerns without hesitation. He believes organizations should focus not on why something cannot be done, but on how it can be achieved, and shift their thinking from temporary fixes to major innovation.

Regarding recent labor-management conflicts at another company over performance-based bonuses, Ryu also delivered a message of caution to employees. He warned that the moment an organization becomes complacent with short-term achievements and stops pursuing change and innovation, it risks entering an irreversible path of decline.

At a recent company-wide town hall meeting held at LG Sciencepark in Magok, Seoul, he said, “A daily 1% regression will lead to a 1,480-fold setback after one year. The small improvements we fail to implement today will come back as an unmanageable gap one year later.”

At the end of last month, LG Electronics announced its first earnings results since Ryu assumed office for the first quarter of 2026. The company posted consolidated revenue of KRW 23.7272 trillion and operating profit of KRW 1.6737 trillion. Revenue increased 4.3% year-on-year, while operating profit surged an impressive 32.9%.

As of the afternoon of May 14, shares of LG Electronics were trading at KRW 215,000, up KRW 23,600 (12.33%) from the previous session — the highest level in the company’s history.

Reporter Kim Jae-chang newswatch@newswatch.kr