hankyoreh

New monitors that Samsung Electronics plans to showcase at 2022 CES (provided by Samsung Electronics)

This year’s CES — the world’s largest electronics, IT and automotive trade fair and a showcase for the technology and products of the future — will kick off on Wednesday. This year’s show is notable not only because it’s being held despite the ongoing pandemic but also because Korean companies are taking center stage.

In addition to those companies’ enhanced status in the market, they’ve adopted a proactive marketing strategy of filling the vacuum left by American and Chinese companies. Other areas that are receiving attention at this year’s fair are eco-friendly and healthcare technology, the space industry, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The three-day fair kicks off this year on Wednesday in Las Vegas. The in-person show is back after going online last year because of COVID-19. Korean companies make up more than 500 of the more than 2,200 companies attending CES from around the world, representing the largest Korean contingent ever.

Global firms such as Google, Amazon and General Motors have backed out of the in-person event amid the spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, while a large number of Chinese firms are boycotting the fair as part of China’s contest with the US for technological hegemony. That has created an opening for Korean companies to steal the spotlight.

Samsung Electronics will be showcasing a large number of new products, both in its mobile device and television lines, including the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition. The company also has the honor of delivering a keynote address focusing on environmental, social and governance issues, often referred to by the acronym ESG.

On Tuesday, prior to the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee will deliver the keynote address on the topic of “the age of togetherness” in the ballroom of the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Han heads up Samsung’s DX (Device eXperience) Division, which combines the company’s former mobile and consumer electronics divisions. Han will reportedly be introducing major programs at Samsung Electronics that are aimed at making the planet more sustainable.

The SK Group is setting up its own exhibition, with SK Telecom, SK Innovation, SK Hynix, and other companies taking part. SK Telecom is presenting its “green” ICT innovations, which use low-electricity approaches involving artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and the metaverse to achieve net-zero emissions.

SK Hynix plans to share eco-friendly process technology and product packaging, which are meant to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. Also featured are the efforts different affiliates are making to reduce carbon emissions, which are being presented under the theme of a “carbon-free life.”

LG Electronics shows off its indoor-outdoor delivery robot, the LG CLOi, on Tuesday morning at the LG World Premiere at CES. (provided by LG Electronics)

LG Electronics, which has been focusing major attention on its electronic device business since Koo Kwang-mo took over as chairperson, will be using the event to unveil its LG Omnipod, a concept model for a future AI-based autonomous vehicle.

In addition to office space for conducting business inside the vehicle, the LG Omnipod includes areas for different forms of leisure, including movies, exercise and camping. The company is also showing new appliance concepts tailored to changes in people’s lifestyles amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Hyundai Motor’s case, the slogan has been “expanding human reach.” Chung Eui-sun is expected to be the only one of the four major groups’ heads to appear in person to share his company’s future robotics and mobility technology.

Participating in the CES for the first time are the Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, which will showcase its self-piloting ship and robotics technologies, and Doosan, which is presenting eco-friendly hydrogen-centered technology.

A highlight of the show is the opportunity to see many new forms of technology that have recently been garnering industry interest.

For the first time in CES history, one of the keynote speakers for the event will be from a healthcare business: Robert Ford, chairperson and CEO of Abbott. His selection is a reflection of the heightened interest in healthcare businesses since the pandemic’s eruption.

Also included among the main speakers is Paris Hilton, who has launched her own collection of NFTs.

Another notable addition to the show is aerospace technology, which has been an area of active development, particularly in the private sector. The creation of this new exhibition is particularly significant, as the CES is an opportunity to preview future technological developments.

By Park Jong-o and Sun Dam-eun, staff reporters

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]