
LG Innotek to invest W600b in Gumi plant
The electronics parts maker plans to utilize the investment to expand the mass production lines for flip chip ball grid array and introduce new facilities for the production of high-value camera modules.
The investment period will span from next month to December next year.
Prior to the latest deal, LG Innotek signed an investment agreement with Gumi City in 2022 and made a large-scale investment of 1.4 trillion won in its Gumi operations.
The last investment enabled LG Innotek to acquire Gumi Plant 4, covering a total floor area of 230,000 square meters.
The facility has since been transformed into a key production base for its new FC-BGA business, known as the 'Dream Factory.' Additionally, the company expanded its production lines for mobile camera modules.
Through the additional investment, LG Innotek aims to accelerate the enhancement of its competitiveness in the substrate and optical solution businesses.
It has incorporated cutting-edge IT technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and digital twins into the Dream Factory, which officially began mass production of PC-use FC-BGA for global Big Tech clients in December.
Starting this year, LG Innotek will focus on securing additional FC-BGA customers while advancing next-generation substrate technologies, including glass key integration, to grow its FC-BGA business into a multi-trillion-won industry.
To solidify its position as the global leader in camera modules and enhance cost competitiveness in its optical solutions business, LG Innotek plans to operate a dual production system: legacy model products will be manufactured at its Vietnam plant, while high-value camera modules for new models will be produced at the Gumi plant.
"Gumi is a strategically vital hub for LG Innotek's key businesses," said CEO Moon Hyuk-soo. "We will continue investing to create maximum customer value while fostering mutual growth with local communities and partner companies."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
New oceans minister vows efforts to turn Busan into hub for maritime industry
The new oceans minister vowed Thursday to transform the southeastern city of Busan into the forefront of South Korea's maritime industry in the envisioned era of Arctic shipping routes. "With the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan, the government will bring together administrative, industrial and financial functions in the city to open a new frontier in maritime and fisheries while laying the foundation for a new leap forward of the sectors," Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo said in his inaugural address. "The ministry's relocation to Busan will mark a turning point in our national strategy to equip South Korea with a new growth engine based on the ocean economy," he added. Chun said Busan, Korea's largest port city located about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will serve as the strategic base of the country's maritime industry in light of the anticipated expansion of Arctic shipping routes. Arctic shipping routes refer to maritime passages through the Arctic Ocean that could potentially offer shorter and more efficient trade routes between Asia and Europe. The relocation plan was one of President Lee Jae Myung's key election campaign pledges aimed at developing Busan into a leading global maritime hub and dispersing the excessive concentration of economic assets in Seoul. (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
CJ ENM establishes first Korean entertainment subsidiary in Saudi Arabia
Entertainment conglomerate taps Middle East and North Africa as a new growth engine CJ ENM, a leading South Korean entertainment company, announced Wednesday the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — becoming the first Korean entertainment firm to set up a local branch in the country. CJ ENM said it is positioning the Middle East and North Africa region as a strategic growth engine, aiming to integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution with the region's rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural demand. Through this subsidiary, CJ ENM said it plans to pursue wide-ranging business collaborations across music, television, film, live entertainment and both scripted and unscripted content. This includes the development of audition programs based on CJ ENM's artist discovery initiatives in partnership with local studios. 'The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,' said Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, via a press release. 'To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, we are partnering with Sela — Saudi Arabia's leading live events and experiences company — to expand the influence of K-culture.' Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024 to foster the development of the cultural business landscape, the company said it has been holding ongoing discussions with Sela to develop joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela's expertise in large-scale sports, music, and cultural events, CJ ENM's Saudi subsidiary will broaden collaboration with local stakeholders. CJ ENM's establishment of CJ ENM Middle East comes as the company aims to build ties with the MENA region. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture in 2022, followed by a 2023 MOU with Manga Productions, a Saudi Arabian content company, to co-produce and distribute content across animation, TV series, films, webtoons and media infrastructure. CJ ENM has also hosted KCON, the World's largest K-pop festival, in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. In June, CJ ENM inked a major content deal with Shahid, the Middle East and North Africa region's largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to bring 20 high-quality Korean series to a broader MENA audience. According to CJ ENM, with over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base that shows strong demand for Korean content across entertainment, live performances, gaming and sports. "CJ ENM Middle East will serve as a regional anchor, coordinating with its Korean headquarters to accelerate pan-MENA collaboration. By combining its regional networks and production expertise, CJ ENM aims to broaden its global reach and solidify its position in premium content creation," said an official from CJ ENM via a press release.


Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Checks, gaps, global voices: The evolving face of Korea's bank governance
Governance reforms gain ground amid uneven progress on diversity, independence South Korea's financial giants have been working to shed their long-standing reputation for rubber-stamp governance, as diversity and boardroom expertise have visibly improved. Yet, with CEOs and legacy ties still exerting implicit power in some high-level conference rooms, the extent to which boards can hold management accountable remains in question. All four of Korea's top financial groups now have at least two female outside directors, with women holding an average of 32 percent of those seats. Shinhan leads with four of nine, followed by KB with three of seven, Hana with three of nine and Woori with two of seven. Notably, the female directors are, on average, more than a decade younger than their male peers — suggesting that gender inclusion is also fostering generational renewal. Average board ages cluster between 61 and 63, with Shinhan and Woori the youngest at roughly 61.7 years old. However, none of the boards currently includes a foreign national. The last was Stuart B. Solomon, a former MetLife executive who left KB in 2022. The absence is especially striking given that foreign investors now hold an average 63 percent stake across the four groups — more than six times the Kospi average. While not legally mandated, foreign directors are widely seen as a marker of governance transparency and stronger representation of foreign shareholders' interests. Strengthening internal oversight was the dominant theme in board appointments across Korea's top banking groups this year. Woori made the most sweeping changes, replacing four of its seven outside directors after a high-profile internal control failure led to regulatory scrutiny. It also launched an ethics and internal control committee and revamped its audit committee. New appointees include Kim Choon-soo, a compliance specialist and former head of Eugene Group's ethical management division, and Rhee Yeong-seop, a Seoul National University professor with expertise in economics and financial regulation — both expected to strengthen the group's internal controls. To support Woori's digital transformation, tech entrepreneur Kim Young-hoon, a founding member of Daou Tech, also joined the board. Still, gaps remain. Woori's board skill matrix highlights a lack of expertise in consumer protection and legal affairs — areas that need strengthening going forward. The other three groups, with more balanced skill coverage, emphasized continuity while selectively shoring up governance capabilities. Shinhan added two new directors with deep ties to Japan, preserving its long-standing alignment with the Korean-Japanese community and maintaining the share of third-generation Korean Japanese outside directors. New appointees include Chun Myo-sang, a third-generation Korean Japanese and certified public accountant in Japan, and Yang In-jip, a Korean national with extensive professional experience in Japan, including as a tech CEO and former chair of the Korean Business Association in Japan. This enduring alignment reflects Shinhan's founding roots — established with capital from Korean Japanese investors in the 1980s — and continues to serve as a stabilizing force in its governance. KB maintained board stability while adding targeted expertise. New appointees include Ewha University economics professor Chah Eun-young and E-Jung Accounting CEO Kim Sun-yeop, bolstering regulatory and audit oversight. A new internal controls committee is chaired by Lee Myong-hwal, a veteran economist and policy expert. Notably, KB limits outside director terms to five years, shorter than the industry's six-year norm, underscoring its commitment to board renewal. Hana made minimal changes, but focused on governance upgrades. It established an internal controls committee and added Suh Young-sook, former chief credit officer at SC Bank Korea, as its only new outside director. Though modest in scope, the move raised Hana's female director ratio and added global credit expertise. Despite formal efforts to separate management and oversight, executive influence remains entrenched. At KB and Shinhan, the CEOs of their flagship banks — Lee Hwan-ju and Jung Sang-hyuk, respectively — sit on the holding company's board as 'nonstanding' directors: nonexecutive, nonindependent, but voting members who serve on committees. These positions blur the boundary between oversight and management. Hana goes further, including not only its CEO, but also two vice chairs — Lee Seung-lyul and Kang Seong-muk — on the board. In 2024, the group expanded its board to 12 members — the largest among its peers — by adding external directors to balance the increased number of internal seats. Notably, Lee remains a board member even after stepping down as Hana Bank CEO, reinforcing the view that these seats function as power bases for the group's CEO Ham Young-joo, who secured a three-year term extension in March. As foreign ownership rises, investor communication is increasingly seen as a measure of governance openness. All four groups now provide English-language disclosures, translated shareholder materials and access to electronic voting — but depth and quality still vary. Shinhan and Woori lead in outreach. From July 2024 to June this year, Shinhan held eight investor sessions involving board members, along with 24 CEO- and 43 chief financial officer-level meetings. It offers disclosures in Korean, English and Japanese and commissions third-party board evaluations. Woori conducted over 100 foreign investor meetings during the year, many attended by the CEO, signaling volume and senior-level commitment. Hana and KB focus on accessibility. Hana has held two annual investor roundtables since 2022, with full participation from outside directors. This year, it scheduled one at 10 p.m. local time to accommodate North American shareholders. KB upgraded infrastructure this year with simultaneous interpretation and livestreaming of shareholders meetings, while tailoring voting procedures for institutional and American Depositary Receipt holders. Woori, Shinhan and KB — each listed on the New York Stock Exchange — also file English-language disclosures via the US Securities and Exchange Commission, alongside Korean regulatory filings. Still, global investors see room for improvement. More frequent board engagement and clearer channels for shareholder input remain key. Amar Gill, secretary-general of the Asian Corporate Governance Association, stressed that board-level dialogue is essential not just for transparency, but to strengthen the boards themselves. 'There should at least be a designated point person on the board for foreign investors to engage with,' Gill told The Korea Herald. 'The most important part is engagement with investors at the board level, particularly from independent directors. They should be getting feedback from the market. That is how they are empowered.' He also stressed that logistical improvements around annual shareholders meetings are needed to support non-Korean shareholders. 'Two to three weeks' notice is not enough. It should be at least a month in advance. And foreign investors attending should be able to ask questions.'