LG Elec. names design chief

By Kim Yoo-chul

LG Electronics announced Tuesday it has named Lee Kun-pyo as the head of the Corporate Design Center as part of its strategy to strengthen its interface-focused capabilities.

Lee is a professor of industrial design at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and earned a Ph. D. from the University of Tsukuba in Japan in this field.

``LG hopes the new vice president will raise LG’s global recognition in design based on his proven experience in academia and networks-related knowledge,’’ said an LG spokesman Jerry Kim.

In a statement, LG said Lee’s strengths range from interface-driven to human design. He was helping KAIST make its way into the top 30 design schools worldwide.

Bae Won-beok, who previously led the design center and its global product strategy unit, will now focus on strategy management.