It was a term I haven’t heard before, yet uttered by LG’s Sunghan Kim when I got the chance to talk to him up close. Kim leads the sales and marketing for the Home Appliance Solutions division in Asian markets.
“What do you think of the term K-Tech?”, he asked.
“Oh?” I had never heard of it before..
I did a quick Google search, multitasking as I right beside him while someone else was talking to him, and a lot of the references to this term led to a company by the same name (also in Korea) but it seems that South Korea wants to further capitalize on the K-Wave with tech having a particular signature. Companies like LG (our host), Samsung, Hyundai, and Kia have solidified their global reputation as the choice for quality. Throughout the LG Innofest, execs were not shy to mention the existential duality of their C-brand competitors – cheaper but aggressive. “But what of quality?” They would retort.
The global market has shifted. Where once technology was Western-centric with companies like Dell, HP, and Motorola, the movement is now in the supply chains of Asia, mostly dominated by Chinese OEMs that have turned into powerhouses. But there’s a third option, nuanced in both geopolitical and cultural push and pull, with South Korea’s soft power in pop culture making brands like LG and Samsung very palatable.
Do your appliances need AI?
It was my first time attending Innofest for LG and I was really enlightened with new products that they will unveil, most making their way to the Philippines this year. AI is front and center of course, and it’s a question of how to make AI a meaningful proposition in your living room or kitchen. LG made a huge gamble leaving the visibility of the smartphone market to focus on consumer appliances and it seems this…