Visitors wait to enter the central hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center where the CES was held, Jan 5. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

By Baek Byung-yeul

"Am I back in Korea?"

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say this, but it was what this reporter felt at the Las Vegas Convention Center where the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held last week.

At the 56th CES event, about 3,200 companies from 174 countries joined the show to flaunt their advanced technologies. Given that about 4,400 companies participated in the 2020 event, which was held right before COVID-19 reached a global crisis point, it appears the event is returning to form as the world's largest tech show.

Among the participants, over 550 Korean companies shined brightly in the spotlight as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Group, Lotte Group, Hyundai Mobis, HD Hyundai and other companies attracted attention with their trend-leading technologies.

Though many people visited exhibition spaces focusing on emerging items such as metaverse and mobility, it was Samsung's booth that everyone wanted to see first.

As this reporter has become accustomed to different pronunciations of Korean brand names, it felt unfamiliar to hear many visitors from different countries pronounce Samsung as Koreans would.

"The first place we decided to visit is Samsung. They always have a big space and it's kind of a rule to visit Samsung's booth first to see the latest trend," a visitor from Turkey said.

As the visitor said, Samsung built the largest exhibition hall and its booth was popular as visitors had to endure long queues to enter.

LG Innotek's booth is crowded with visitors who want to see mobility parts during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 5. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

LG's booth also succeeded in gaining popularity with an ultra-large OLED installation at its entrance, becoming a favorite photography destination. LG Group's IT and auto parts maker LG Innotek also attracted many visitors eager to see their parts for self-driving and electric vehicles.

A government official said the country takes the CES seriously, to the extent that it could decide the future of the country and whether it develops further or remains as a manufacturer for global companies as it has largely been so far.

"Not only Samsung, LG, SK and Hyundai, but also many small and medium-sized Korean companies take part in the show with help from government agencies or at their own expense. It is very encouraging that our companies participated in the event in the U.S.," an official from the ICT ministry said, adding that only the U.S. had more companies participating in the CES.

"They are literally showing their prowess in many emerging technologies, showing that they are not followers anymore," he said.

A large tractor is seen at John Deere's CES booth in Las Vegas, Jan. 5. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Technology for people

The focus of this year's CES was also on how to improve quality of life with technology, as the organizers came up with the slogan "Human Security for All."

The term, which was first coined by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1994, refers to a view that not only military security, but also the dignity and peace for all humans can be protected only when their lives are enriched in many aspects such as medical care, food and environment.

The organizer said information and communications technologies can advance these values, and that companies bringing up these kinds of technologies gained much attention, such as U.S.-based agriculture equipment maker John Deere.

As the number of agricultural workers is on the decrease globally, the convergence of agriculture and IT has become essential. John Deere won the CES 2023 Innovation Awards Best of Innovation for its products that increase productivity more efficiently with artificial intelligence-based self-driving tractors.

Samsung also collaborated with U.S. clothing brand Patagonia on an eco-friendly washing machine that can reduce friction among fabrics, which is a major source of microplastics.

Their moves for the planet and humanity have shown that technology should no longer only emphasize convenience with novel ideas, but also bring more positive changes to our lives and the lives of future generations.