Korean companies gear up for upcoming CES 2023 tech show

CES 2023 is pulling out all the stops to present the latest tech products and show how electronics can be merged into daily life and business, following a weak presence of tech companies over the past years in the wake of the pandemic.

People take pictures in front of a sign during the CES tech show on Jan. 6, in Las Vegas. [AP/YONHAP]

CES 2023 is pulling out all the stops to present the latest tech products and show how electronics can be merged into daily life and business, following a weak presence of tech companies over the past years in the wake of the pandemic.

Over 3,000 companies will participate in the four-day event in Las Vegas, set to begin on Jan. 5, including big-name electronics makers like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Silicon Valley's Meta and Google, along with global automakers BMW and Stellantis.

Highlights of previous shows were often next-generation display technology, and Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are again expected to feature advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs and monitors.

SK hynix will introduce high-performing new memory chips while SK On will bring its super-fast charging electric vehicle (EV) battery.

HD Hyundai will introduce its strategies for unmanned ships and remote operations.

To up the ante of their offering, SK Inc. Chairman Chey Tae-won and HD Hyundai CEO Chung Ki-sun will be at the event, though whether Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin will visit remains unclear. While global carmakers will showcase their newest EVs, Korea's two largest automakers, Hyundai Motor and Kia, won't be attending this year's show.

Samsung Electronics will introduce an updated Bespoke refrigerator featuring a Family Hub panel, which offers a 32-inch touchscreen. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

━ Flashy gadgets

The upcoming CES will be a playing field for the latest OLED TVs made by Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

Samsung Electronics is expected to release a 77-inch OLED TV with panels dubbed QD-OLED Display, which deploys a blue OLED layer as a light source and a color filter consisting of quantum dots to enhance luminance.

This will be the first time that Samsung Electronics shows its QD-OLED TVs to the public. The 55-inch and 65-inch QD OLED TVs are already on sale in the European and U.S. markets, but the manufacturer displayed the two models in a closed-door booth during CES 2022.

LG Electronics will display its OLED TVs with resolutions of about 8,000 pixels, a feature better known as 8K. 8K is the highest resolution currently available for display panels.

The OLED TV market has been the new battleground for the two companies in recent years given that Chinese competitors like BOE and Xiaomi threaten their dominance in the liquid crystal display (LCD) TV market, a mainstream and cheaper option preceding OLED.

LG Display also announced it would introduce its latest 45-inch and 25-inch OLED panels designed for gaming monitors.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee makes opening remarks for the Samsung AI Forum held in November. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

In the home appliance sector, the two companies are headed in two different directions: Luxury and minimalism.

Samsung is planning to introduce a series of new products under its Bespoke premium customizable appliance brand, which now accounts for more than 80 percent of the sales in its consumer electronics division.

The Bespoke Infinite line features a premium full suite of wall ovens, cooktops, dishwashers, a smart hood system and refrigerators made with materials like stainless steel and ceramics.

One item on the lineup is an updated Bespoke refrigerator featuring a Family Hub panel, which offers a 32-inch touchscreen that allows people to watch TVs, cue YouTube videos, or search for recipes. The size of the screen has been doubled from the previous model.

“At CES 2023, Samsung will present a new and expanded SmartThings experience that integrates your home ecosystem even more seamlessly with a system that is supported by enhanced security,” said Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee.

LG Electronics' minimalist home appliances that will be displayed at the upcoming CES 2023 trade show [LG ELECTRONICS]

LG Electronics, meanwhile, said the core theme of its exhibition of home appliances will be its “minimalistic design.”

A total of five achromatic home appliances will be on display, including a refrigerator, washing machine and oven. The products will have the bare minimum when it comes to their exteriors, such as physical buttons and handles, LG said.

All of the appliances' packaging will be made with recycled materials. The line will be sold in the first half of 2023 at the earliest.

“Simplicity can make the value of a customer’s life more elegant,” said Kim Soo-yeon, a senior researcher at LG Electronics’ Home and Appliance Design Institute. “With the minimal design, we will lead a new trend in the home appliance sector.”

SK hynix is set to bring new high-performing chips including the latest solid-state drive (SSD) during the show.

Called PS1010, the SSD features 176-layer 4D NAND flash technology. The read speed increased by 130 percent, while the writing speed rose by 48 percent compared to the previous generations. The chip is also 75 percent more efficient, which will help customers reduce costs to run servers and carbon emissions, the company said.

An image of SK's booth at CES 2023. Some 40 carbon-cutting technologies and products will be displayed. [SK INC.]

SK's booth at CES 2023 [SK INC.]

━ Making a greener Earth

Technologies designed to reduce carbon will also take center stage at CES.

A total of eight SK companies including SK Innovation, SK hynix and SK Telecom are bringing some 40 carbon-cutting technologies used across a number of businesses, ranging from EV batteries to low-carbon manufacturing processes. Ten U.S. firms that SK companies have stakes in will also display their products at SK's booth.

SK On, a fully-owned subsidiary of SK innovation, will display its Super Fast Battery, which has 83 percent nickel content and can run more than 400 kilometers (249 miles) per charge. The high-performance, high-nickel batteries allow the car to charge to 80 percent in only 18 minutes, the fastest in the market so far. Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 and Kia's EV6 have SK On batteries.

SK On is the only battery maker in Korea participating in the trade event.

Super Fast Battery developed by SK On [SK INNOVATION]

The battery maker will also pitch its NCM9 — nickel, cobalt and manganese — battery, the world's first battery to hit the 90-percent nickel content level that allows for higher energy density and improved storage capacity. NCM9 batteries are already being produced and will be sold to Ford to use in its F-150 Lightning.

A trial solid-state battery product will also be on display, which is currently under development by Louisville, Colorado-based Solid Power. SK Innovation in October 2021 invested $30 million into the battery company.

Solid-state batteries are touted as "dream batteries" for their high energy density and safety. The Solid Power's battery is likely to have around 33 percent more energy density than a lithium-ion battery and will be able to run some 930 kilometers per single charge.

SK Chairman Chey in December 2021 announced a goal to reduce the company's carbon emissions by 200 million tons by 2030 — an aggressive target, as it is equivalent to 1 percent of the world's reduction goal.

"SK Innovation will introduce our eco-friendly business strategies and the direction of our future business at CES 2023, the global event that the whole world is paying attention to," said Kim Woo-kyung, vice president at SK Innovation's PR team. "We will continue our investment and cooperation with global companies with high potential across the globe."

A GenFuel dispenser developed by New York-based Plug Power will be on display at SK's booth at CES 2023. [SK E&S]

A GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell power pack and GenFuel dispenser will be put on display, which was developed by New York-based Plug Power. SK Inc. and SK E&S jointly invested $1.5 billion into Plug Power in 2021, acquiring 9.9 percent of the Nasdaq-listed company.

Hydrogen has emerged as a key green energy source for achieving zero-emission goals as it does not release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Hydrogen fuel cell packs can be used in mobility, such as for forklifts.

LG Electronics' focus for the upcoming show will also be promoting a greener environment.

Various LG home appliances in the exhibition were made with recycled materials that were extracted at its Chilseo Recycling Center in Haman County, South Gyeongsang. First built in 2001, LG has been recycling some 70 types of used home appliances at the center to extract 40 different types of raw materials.

The company will also explain its unique technologies to recycle Styrofoam.

By 2030, LG Electronics aims to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 50 percent compared to 2017.

Hyundai Mobis' purpose built vehicle to be introduced at CES 2023 [HYUNDAI MOBIS]

━ Mobility

In recent years, the CES has often been called a mobility show rather than an electronics show, due to the participation of various automakers worldwide.

Despite the absence of Hyundai Motor and Kia, Korean companies are exploring various next-generation mobility technologies to lure in global automakers.

Hyundai Mobis will show off two purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), which are equipped with the auto parts maker’s latest autonomous driving technologies.

One of them will be a self-driving vehicle based on an electrification system while the other is designed for leisure, relaxation and outdoor activities.

Digitalized cockpit featuring LG Display's plastic organic light-emitting diode display. [LG DISPLAY]

LG Display will set up a booth dedicated to automotive displays for the first time.

One of the major lineups is the plastic OLED panels, which use elastic plastics instead of glass that offer high-quality graphics and can easily bend.

LG will also introduce its Thin Actuator Sound Solution which achieves a much thinner and lighter form factor compared to conventional speakers. The sound is produced by utilizing various car body materials as a sort of diaphragm.

The company’s big bets on automobiles come in the face of sluggish demand for panels used in smartphones and TVs.

LG Innotek will release its latest camera modules designed for self-driving vehicles. It is the first time for the company to hold an open booth at the annual event.

HD Hyundai will show its technologies for unmanned ships and visions for eco-friendly materials to run ships.

SK signet will showcase a new ultra-fast charger at CES, which enables more stable and faster charging, while Lotte Data Communication will introduce Evsis, an app that allows people to search for nearby EV charging stations and make payments.

The V2 charger will be the first ultra-fast charger to be manufactured in the United States. They will be made in SK signet’s Texas plant starting in the first quarter of 2023.

SK signet's V2 ultra-fast EV charger [SK SIGNET]

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]