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.
341 Korean firms to participate in all-digital CES
A screen capture from the CES website
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
Some 341 Korean firms will participate in this year's Consumer Electronic Show, which will be held online for the first time in its 55-year history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the organizers, CES 2021 will kick off its four-day run from Monday (local time).
Korea has sent the second-largest number of participating companies, following 570 from the U.S.
Included in the list of participants are not only tech giants such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics but also cosmetics maker Amorepacific, refiner GS Caltex and a slew of firms from industries which have prior to now not been represented at the show, as they showcase their efforts to blend technology into their business models.
Of them, LG Electronics will start showcasing its products by holding a media day event at 10 p.m. (KST) Monday, followed by Samsung Electronics' event at 11 p.m.
During the show, Samsung Electronics will unveil a lineup of its new tech products from displays to home appliances collections.
Han Jong-hee, head of Samsung Electronics visual display business, speaks during Samsung's The First Look 2021 online event, Jan. 7. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Offering a glimpse into the show, Samsung Electronics held The First Look 2021 preview event, Jan. 7, and unveiled its Neo QLED TV which exploits mini LED technologies. A Quantum Mini LED, as it has been branded, is 1/40th the height of a conventional LED, and so many more can be compacted into thin micro layers.
Along with its display technology, Samsung will showcase its range of Bespoke refrigerators and AI-featured Grande washing machines. The Bespoke series, which debuted in Korea in June 2019, accounted for more than 60 percent of the company's domestic refrigerator sales and will be launched in the U.S. market in March.
LG Electronics will seek to grab audience attention with its mini LED technology. Last month, the company previewed its new QNED Mini LED TV lineup consisting of 10 models, offering both 4K and 8K options with large screen sizes up to 87 inches.
Along with the mini LED TV, the company will exhibit transparent OLED applications at the CES 2021.
In the smartphone segment, LG Electronics is expected to showcase a “rollable” phone, a world first in adopting the new form factor, which is expected to be launched in the first half of the year.
Refiner GS Caltex will make its CES debut this year, showcasing its drone delivery service and model for future gas stations. Cosmetics maker Amorepacific, appearing at its second CES this year, has been named a CES Innovation Awards honoree for its app Color Tailor that uses AI to suggest the optimal lipstick color through skin tone analysis.
Healthcare tech firm M2S won a CES Best of Innovation award this year with its VR-based ophthalmic examination system, and Coway also became an Innovation Awards honoree with its air purifier.
To promote Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups appearing at the CES 2021, the government has set up two separate websites: www.ces2021korea.com featuring 89 SMEs, and kstartupces2021.com featuring 97 startups.
Notably, a number of big-name Korean firms including Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group, LG Uplus and KT will not participate in the event this year.