S. Korean tech firms to show off latest innovations at CES 2023

South Korean tech companies are ready to showcase their latest products and innovative technologies at CES 2023, the world's largest consumer electronics show slated to open in Las Vegas next week.

CES will be held in a bigger and more fully in-person fashion this time, with global tech giants like Google, Meta and Microsoft physically returning to the global stage for innovation after missing the previous one due to the fast spreading omicron variant. CES 2021 was held entirely online.

The Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of the event, said some 2,200 exhibitors and around 10,000 attendees are expected to show up from around the world for the tech show.

The annual event, the CTA said, will showcase technical innovations in sustainability, transportation and mobility, digital health, the metaverse and more, aimed at helping people live a more convenient life and tackle the world's greatest challenges, including climate change.

Despite the global macroeconomic uncertainty that has depressed business sentiment, approximately 550 South Korean companies, 60 percent of which are startups, have signed up to show off state-of-the-art products, ranging from home appliances, wearable gadgets and mobility technologies to self-driving vehicles, according to the Korea Information & Communication Technology Industry Association.

South Korea is the second-largest exhibitor after the United States, the association said.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone and memory chip maker, will present its vision for "sustainable innovation," which focuses on developing products that are both highly connected and sustainable.

Samsung said it will introduce an upgraded version of the SmartThings application that enables easier, smarter and more energy-efficient ways to connect home devices based on enhanced artificial intelligence technology.

Recently, Samsung, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of electronic devices and semiconductors, has been doubling down on its campaign on connectivity and sustainability.

At CES 2023, it is set to unveil next-generation display technologies through The First Look event, and a new lineup of Bespoke Infinite, Samsung's high-end kitchen appliances, which will be launched in Europe during the first quarter of next year.

LG Electronics will return to a full-offline event next week, a switch from this year's virtual tour that met with mixed responses from visitors.

One of the leading trendsetters in consumer electronics, LG will display LG ThinQ UP upgradable home appliances during the show, which allow users to upgrade their existing home gadgets with new features through software updates and hardware add-ons. The company plans to make a global launch of the upgradable appliances, starting in the U.S. in March.

The company will unveil new organic light-emitting diode TVs and latest boundary-pushing display technologies.

It will also share its environmental, social and governance, or ESG, vision, and sustainability efforts, in an industry-wide trend to emphasize sustainable development through recycling and eco-friendly products.

SK Group, South Korea's energy-to-telecom conglomerate, will unveil a broad range of low emission technologies to highlight its drive for the green energy transition, with a focus on electric vehicle batteries and battery components, hydrogen, and waste-to-energy, among others.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will attend the event in person for the first time, stressing the group's carbon neutral initiatives. The group has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 200 million tons by 2030, equivalent to 1 percent of the global carbon emissions reduction target set by the International Energy Agency.

SK will present its high-nickel Super Fast Battery that touts an industry-leading charging speed. It will also introduce a fiber-based thermoplastic emerging as a new material for auto components, and its ongoing project for a large plastic recycling cluster in South Korea.

Also on display are a hydrogen fuel cell power pack, a liquefied hydrogen drone and the next-generation small modular reactor, known as the sodium-cooled fast reactor.

Hyundai Mobis, the auto component making unit of Hyundai Motor Group, will unveil its purpose-built vehicle concept models for the first time, offering a perspective of future mobility tailored to drivers' needs.

A self-driving vehicle, named M.Vision TO, runs on an electrification system featuring cameras, radar and light detection and ranging sensors that detect objects near the car's surroundings.

M.Vision HI, another PBV concept, is designed for leisure and outdoor activities. The glass of the vehicle can be used as a large display screen to watch movies or shop online. The vehicle also features gaze-assisted remote control technology that uses human eyes as the controller.

Self-driving gadgets will be exhibited, such as a future cockpit integrated solution and LED grille lighting, along with the hologram augmented-reality heads-up display, a transparent display that presents data on the vehicle's windshield so that the driver will not need to look away.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, a South Korean shipbuilding giant, will join the tech show for the second consecutive year to present its sustainability vision.

It will show a safer and more economical future ship based on unmanned and remote digital solutions using energy-saving technologies.

It plans to unveil a marine data platform to optimize global maritime transport networks, such as a smart ship solution that combines all marine data from ships, shipping companies and ports to provide optimal routes. (Yonhap)

It will present a future that expands living space to the sea through various technologies, and a sustainable marine energy ecosystem based on technologies such as marine floater and next-generation energy propulsion.