(CES 2020) S. Korean officials, biz leaders check latest tech, products at CES 2020

By Joo Kyung-don

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- A number of South Korean business chiefs and government officials visited the world's largest consumer electronics expo on Wednesday to check out the latest technologies and products from global companies.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 kicked off Tuesday (local time) in Las Vegas, Nevada, with around 4,500 exhibitors, including 390 South Korean firms.

Sung Yun-mo, Seoul's minister of trade, industry and energy, was one of many South Korean officials to visit the annual business fair, becoming the first South Korean minister to visit the CES since 2004.

He was also one of the first to visit the booths of major South Korean firms -- including Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and SK Group -- on the opening day,.

Sung was back again on the second day to visit the booths of various artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics companies.

Municipal government leaders also made their way to the annual electrics trade show.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was on one of the panels for a CES session on smart city development, visited the booths of Samsung, LG and Hyundai Motor Co.

Jeju Province Gov. Won Hee-ryong and the mayors of Daegu and Anyang were also spotted at this year's CES.

From the business community, Park Yong-maan, chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), visited various booths of South Korean conglomerates including his own Doosan Group. Park also heads construction equipment maker Doosan Infracore Co.

Business leaders were busy checking their rivals' latest technologies and products.

LG Display CEO Jeong Ho-young was spotted at the Samsung booth. On Tuesday, LG Electronics CEO Brian Kwon was seen at Chinese home appliances maker Haier.

Chief executives of telecommunication firms were also visitors. Ha Hyun-hwoi, who leads the country's No. 3 mobile carrier, LG Uplus Corp., visited the Doosan booth and virtual reality firms. He stopped by the booths of major companies like Intel, Panasonic and Hyundai Motor the previous day.

Park Jung-won, who heads top South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom Co., was at the Samsung booth Tuesday, looking around with Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung's mobile business.

kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)