At the MWC25 event, LG Uplus CEO Hong Bum-shik highlighted their successful partnerships with Google and AWS, stating his desire to be remembered as a CEO who contributes to the growth of employees. During a town hall meeting on the 10th to mark his 100th day as CEO, Hong emphasized investing in areas that exceed customer expectations and building a partnership ecosystem for distinctive competitiveness.
Hong has been proactive in forging partnerships with global tech giants since his appointment. At MWC25 in Barcelona, LG Uplus announced partnerships with Google and AWS. They plan to apply Google’s AI model ‘Gemini’ to LG Uplus’s AI agent service ‘IXIO’ and collaborate globally. With AWS, they will pursue the ‘AX Alliance’ strategy to develop Korea-specific sovereign clouds, AI platforms, solutions, and AI consulting.
Hong outlined a mid-to-long-term strategy aiming for LG Uplus to become the top domestic telecommunications platform. The strategy focuses on creating customer value, securing unique competitiveness, optimizing operations, and emphasizing quality, safety, and security, with the goal of establishing a solid foundation within three years.
The town hall was conducted personally by Hong for 90 minutes without a moderator or script. He stressed the importance of motivation, ability, and triggers for growth, asserting that his role as CEO is to facilitate those triggers for LG Uplus members. According to Hong, purpose has become more critical than achieving first place, with the focus on how their work contributes to a ‘brighter world.’
He shared his aspiration to be remembered as a CEO who aids employee growth and aims to develop LG Uplus employees into acknowledged professionals globally. Hong also mentioned his commitment to spreading a positive and appreciative organizational culture, noting the impact of praise in offsetting negativity.
In the first 100 days, Hong concentrated on business strategy development and plans to increase dialogue with employees and enhance execution moving forward. He intends to maintain open communication and share his ideas openly, starting with meetings formed with employees who attended MWC25.