Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group: A Keen Eye for Technology Nurtured in Engineering School

[Korea Financial Times, Shin Haeju] Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, is 47 years old this year and became the group’s chairman at the young age of 40, seven years ago. There have been cases where individuals ascended to the chairmanship of large conglomerates at an even younger age than Koo. Kim Seung-youn, Chairman of Hanwha Group, assumed leadership at 29, while Chung Ji-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Department Store Group, took the helm at 35. However, at least in their cases, they likely anticipated their succession at some point.

Initially, Koo faced limitations as a successor. Even as a university student, he probably did not imagine himself leading LG Group. After graduating from high school, Koo went to study in the United States, enrolling in the Computer Science Department at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York State.

During his studies abroad, he returned to Korea and served as an industrial technical personnel at a domestic IT solutions company. While continuing his studies after returning to school, he was suddenly adopted as the heir of the late Koo Bon-moo, former chairman of LG Group, which unexpectedly placed him as the first in line for group succession.
Koo’s biological father is Koo Bon-neung, Chairman of Heesung Group. After Koo Bon-moo’s son, Koo Won-mo, passed away in a traffic accident, Koo Kwang-mo became the only son of his uncle, who had no children of his own. Thus after graduating from university, Koo joined the Finance Division of LG Electronics in 2006.


When evaluating Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, the term ‘technology leadership’ is often used. Perhaps due to his engineering school background, he has a keen interest in new technologies and startups. For his first overseas business trip after becoming CEO, he chose San Francisco, adjacent to Silicon Valley in the United States.

At the end of 2020, he established LG NOVA in Silicon Valley to discover new business models and collaborate with innovative startups. Recently, ‘Pado,’ an AI-based energy management solution company that originated from LG NOVA’s new business incubator, was spun off as an independent corporation.

He has also continued to strengthen open innovation, reorganizing the in-house venture program, which had been in operation since 2020, into Studio341 in 2023.
It is highly likely that his technology leadership was cultivated during his university years. The cooperative education (Co-op) program at Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the oldest and largest in the world, with more than 3,400 partner companies across the United States and in over 30 countries worldwide.

The school’s internship program is particularly well-known. All students are required to gain real work experience at companies before graduation, resulting in a high employment rate in Silicon Valley after graduation. The school’s slogan is “Learn by Doing, Not Just by Theory.”

According to this year’s survey by U.S. News & World Report of 584 American universities, Rochester Institute of Technology ranked 64th overall for its excellent computer science program.

Shin Haeju (hjs0509@fntimes.com)