Middle East media tour home of LG Electronics

The five-day press tour, welcoming journalists from the GCC, Levant, Turkey and Iran, kicked off at LG Electronics' Twin Towers HQ in Seoul with a presentation on the company's proud 57-year history.

The company began in 1947 as Lucky Chemicals and Goldstar Electronics. The entire organisation now consists of 48 companies, employs 140,000 people worldwide, and has 300 offices and subsidiaries in 120 countries. The corporation achieved global revenues of US$85 billion in 2003.

The introductory presentation explored LG's rich experience in consumer electronics, telecommunications, petrochemicals, finance, engineering, construction and ecommerce. The 14-strong media team also learnt about LG Electronics' Digital Display & Media Company (DDM) and the Digital Information Display Division (DID).

A showroom tour of LG products included a look at the latest monitors, notebooks, plasma screens, mobile phones, refrigerators and LG's HomeNet - groundbreaking internet-based technology that uses a refrigerator as a server controlling everything from a home's air-conditioners to its microwave.

"The level of interest in LG among the region's media is always high, and this tour was a perfect opportunity to provide journalists with a better understanding of the company and its many achievements," said Michael Kim, IT Product Manager, LG Gulf.

Besides sampling traditional Korean cuisine like kimchi (fermented and spiced vegetables) at the Sky View restaurant, located at the summit of South Korea's tallest building in Seoul, the invited media visited the town of Yemyeongyo to try their hands at pottery.

Day three featured a trip to Pyeongtek, an hour and a half by road from Seoul, for a tour of LG's Digital Storage Division and PC Division. The group also took in the DDM factory, a short distance away in Gumi, for a presentation and then a visit to the factory's 24-hour production line, where LG branded plasma screens and OEM (Other Electronic Manufacturers) monitors are made.

A cultural programme was arranged in Busan on South Korea's south east coast. The itinerary included a visit to Busan's vast street market and a boat cruise along the coast. Back in Seoul, the party concluded its trip with a visit to Gyeongbok Palace, home to Korea's last ruling family.