Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Cheong Wa Dae hit for hastily organizing 'Korean CES'
People crowd the lobby near exhibit halls inside the Las Vegas Convention Center during the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in Las Vegas on Jan. 8. AFP-Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
The government's plan to hold “a Korean version” of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is drawing complaints from companies, with industry officials saying Sunday they were notified just several weeks before its opening.
The officials said the move is a typical “window dressing,” which has no consideration on how much effort and time is required for companies to prepare for a showcase. Samsung and other IT companies participating in the CES spend at least six months preparing for the exhibit, company officials said.
According to government officials, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will hold Korea Electronics IT Industry Convergence Fair on Jan. 29 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.
In promoting the show, the government described it as the “Korean version” of the CES, which took place in Las Vegas from Jan. 8 to 11, and domestic firms that participated in the Las Vegas show will exhibit their technologies and products at the Korean version of the fair.
“The fair will be a chance for the public to experience domestic firms' innovative technologies,” said an official at Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), which is one of the supervising entities of the event.
However, companies complain that they were only notified to join the show last week, which makes it almost impossible for them to prepare for the event.
“The product we showcased at the CES is still in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,” an official at a major auto parts company said.
“The reason why companies spend money, effort and time to prepare for the CES is because it is a chance to meet overseas buyers and sign actual deals. If the show is aimed at being a scaled-down CES copycat, what is the use of holding such a show for companies?”
Another company official said the show's timeframe shows a lack of understanding on the industry.
“It took at least six month for companies to prepare for the CES, and it took much longer if the company planned to present a brand new technology,” he said.
“It is doubtful companies will be able to set up a proper booth to provide their desired experience to visitors in such a short period of time. Also, the show is slated for just before the Lunar New Year holiday, which distracts visitors from attending the show.”
Reportedly, most companies that participated in the CES refused the government's request to join the Korean version, and approximately 30 companies are joining the show, which is one-10th the number of Korean firms that took part in the CES.
Amid complaints over the show, some news outlets reported that Cheong Wa Dae took the initiative in this event and requested companies to join the show, criticizing the government's window dressing move.
As controversy stirs, presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyum said Cheong Wa Dae did not start the event, and the event began as some participants of the CES wanted to hold a similar event on their home soil.