CES organiser gives thumbs-up to S.Korean firms like Samsung, Hyundai

LAS VEGAS: More than 4,000 companies from 150 countries participated in CES 2024, an annual global event held in Las Vegas. It has served as a key platform for global companies, both big and small, to unveil innovations and contribute to the discourse on emerging technologies.

Among them, more than 800 companies were from South Korea, making it the third-largest exhibitor after the United States and China at this year's event.

A senior official from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the event's organizer, said the South Korean presence at CES has grown remarkably in recent years, with its companies leading the tech trends across various industries.

"Korea is vitally important to the success and growth of the global technology industry," John Kelley, vice president and CES show director at the CTA, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. "Korea has increasingly grown into a hotbed for innovation and technological advancements and we have a strong showing of more than 850 Korean companies at CES 2024."

Prominent Korean companies, like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Kia and energy-to-telecom conglomerate SK Group, managed their respective showrooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center to show off their state-of-the-art products, ranging from home appliances and mobility technologies to self-driving vehicles.

Samsung Electronics showcased its artificial intelligence-powered robot Ballie and transparent microLED screens, while LG Electronics showcased the first wireless transparent OLED TV and future mobility concept car Alpha-able, attracting business professionals, media and tech enthusiasts.

Hyundai Motor's air mobility unit, Supernal, captured visitors' attention with its eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) concept, S-A2, along with Kia's concept cars for purpose-built vehicles (PBVs).

"We've seen dozens of innovative product launches from Korean companies at CES 2024," he noted, adding that a growing number of Korean companies have successfully found new business opportunities and secured growth momentum at the tech show.

"That's because Korean companies recognise that global business events and trade shows like CES allow innovative companies to gain global exposure in an efficient way that opens doors to new opportunities and accelerates growth," he emphasised.

Due to their increasing leadership in the global tech industry, South Korea has been at the top of the CTA's special preference list.

CTA Vice President Kelley visited South Korea in October to have meetings with its Korean customers.

"I was there, because Korea is so important," he said. "The Korean presence is very large, and it's a very important country in the tech economy."