LG’s Koo Kwang-mo Emphasizes AI, Speed in Driving Transformation Across Affiliates
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is urging top executives to accelerate the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, stressing that speed is critical for the group’s successful transformation amid increasing geopolitical uncertainty and AI-driven disruption.
During an executive meeting held Wednesday, attended by approximately 40 leaders from key LG affiliates, Koo emphasized the importance of strengthening the group’s core capabilities in the face of rising external volatility. The meeting focused on strategies to navigate the evolving business landscape.
“AI is evolving beyond a simple tool for improving efficiency and productivity. It marks the beginning of a new era that demands fundamental change,” stated Koo. “The future success of the LG Group hinges on our ability to understand and effectively respond to this transformative shift.”
He underscored the importance of swift execution over extensive planning, arguing that agility and speed are more valuable than a “perfect plan” in today’s rapidly changing environment.
“We need to act decisively in areas where our businesses can make a meaningful impact, even if on a small scale, accumulate tangible results, and then scale those successes,” Koo advised.
Koo also called on executives to take direct ownership of the AI transformation process, emphasizing that AI integration should be driven by business leaders themselves, rather than being delegated solely to specialized AI teams.
The meeting, which took place at LG’s Namsan Leadership Center in Seoul, served as a practical demonstration of LG’s commitment to AI. Executives utilized Exaone, LG AI Research’s foundation model, to analyze real-time discussions, identify key themes, and generate concise summaries.
This initiative reflects Koo’s broader strategy to establish AI, alongside bio and cleantech, as central pillars of LG’s future growth. In 2020, he established LG AI Research as a group-wide think tank and subsequently launched LG AI Graduate School, Korea’s first government-accredited in-house graduate program dedicated to training AI specialists.
The graduate school, which commenced operations earlier this month, enrolled 17 employees from various LG affiliates, including LG Electronics, LG Energy Solution, LG Innotek, LG Display, and LG Chem. Participants receive full tuition support and will undertake programs lasting at least one year for a master’s degree and three years or more for a doctorate.
In a separate move, Koo has stepped down from his position as board chair after eight years to concentrate on his responsibilities as CEO. This transition marks the first time LG has appointed an independent director to the role, reflecting the company’s commitment to strengthening board independence and corporate governance.
At LG Corp.’s annual shareholders meeting on Thursday, Kim Hwan-su, a former senior judge at the Seoul High Court, was appointed as an independent director and member of the audit committee. Park Jong-soo, a Korea University law professor, was reappointed as an independent director serving on the audit committee under a separate election.
In a written message delivered by LG Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Kwon Bong-seok, Koo affirmed LG’s commitment to further clarifying its investment priorities and long-term strategic direction this year. The company will also focus on elevating its accumulated technologies to a world-class standard to secure a sustainable competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate.
