The heads of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will make their global debut at CES 2026. Running Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, CES 2026 is the world's largest IT and home appliance exhibition.
Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics face fierce competition from Chinese corporations in home appliances and TVs, and they must tackle challenges such as the transition to artificial intelligence (AI) and improving profitability. With year-end personnel changes handing them the helm, industry attention is growing over what management visions Samsung Electronics President Roh Tae-Moon and LG Electronics President Lyu Jae-cheol will present.
According to the industry on the 31st, Roh will take the stage as the keynote speaker for "The First Look" on the 4th, two days before CES 2026 opens. Samsung Electronics plans to unveil a range of new products and technologies beginning with this event, themed "Your AI everyday companion," at its dedicated exhibition hall set up at the Wynn Las Vegas. In last month's executive reshuffle, Roh shed the acting title when he was appointed head of the Device eXperience (DX; finished goods) institutional sector and CEO.
Lyu will serve as the keynote speaker for the "LG World Premiere" event to be held on the 5th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. LG Electronics has annually used this event ahead of the CES opening to announce its business vision aligned with the year's exhibition theme. This year's theme is "Innovation tailored to you." Lyu was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) last month after serving as head of the Home Appliance & Air Solution (HS; home appliances) business unit in an executive reshuffle.
Roh, who joined the Samsung Electronics Wireless Business in 1997 and rose to CEO, is called a "traditional Samsung man" inside and outside the company. Lyu likewise started at the Goldstar home appliance research lab in 1989 and rose to CEO as a "traditional LG man." Roh built his career mainly in the mobile business institutional sector, while Lyu has overseen the home appliance business. Both Roh and Lyu share the point that, despite rising global market uncertainty over the past two to three years, they achieved business growth in their respective areas.
The two will begin to fully take the reins of overall corporate operations starting with their participation in CES 2026. An industry official said, "Both Roh and Lyu are assessed to have shown outstanding abilities in terms of responding to the market and securing future growth engines through research and development (R&D)," but added, "There is a clear difference between delivering results in a specific area and overseeing the entire corporation, which is why from the first presentation they will be on a full-fledged 'management test stage.'"
◇ Samsung's "home appliances" and LG's "TVs" in the red… "Technological innovation is needed"
Both Roh and Lyu face the task of "improving profitability." For Samsung Electronics, home appliances, and for LG Electronics, the TV business, are cited as particularly "weak links."
In the third quarter of this year, Samsung Electronics' combined results in video display (VD) and digital appliances (DA) showed sales of 13.9 trillion won and an operating loss of 100 billion won. This was the first deficit in this business in seven quarters since the fourth quarter of 2023. Samsung Electronics does not disclose quarterly results for TVs and home appliances separately. However, the securities industry estimates Samsung posted a profit of around 73 billion won in TVs and a loss of about 199 billion won in home appliances during the period.
In the third quarter of this year, LG Electronics' Media & Entertainment Solutions (MS) business unit, which oversees TVs, posted sales of 4.6525 trillion won and an operating loss of 302.6 billion won. It remained sluggish with two consecutive quarters of losses following the second quarter of this year (an operating loss of 191.7 billion won). An industry official said, "Improving results in underperforming areas will be the biggest task for the heads of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics."
The chase by Chinese companies is also intensifying. According to market researcher Omdia, in the third quarter of this year, the combined global TV market share (by shipments) of Chinese corporations (TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi) was 31.8%, surpassing Korea's 28.5%. During this period, Samsung Electronics maintained the top spot at 17.9%, but the gap with TCL (14.3%) is narrowing. LG Electronics posted a 10.6% share, falling behind Hisense (12.4%) to fourth place.
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are set to attack the liquid crystal display (LCD) TV market, where Chinese corporations have seized the lead, at CES 2026. Both companies plan to unveil new "Micro RGB" TVs and target the premium market. By using red, green and blue LEDs as the light source instead of the conventional white, they can reproduce more vivid colors. The LED chips are also reduced to 100 μm or less to achieve precise brightness. Samsung Electronics, which launched a 115-inch Micro RGB TV in Aug., will unveil five new sizes at CES 2026: 55, 66, 75, 85 and 100 inches. LG Electronics will also officially enter the market by unveiling a new product named "LG Micro RGB Evo" at the event.
A researcher at a market research firm who requested anonymity said, "Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have been creating new demand in various ways, such as integrating AI technology into TVs and home appliances and introducing subscription models, but the technology gap with Chinese companies is gradually narrowing," adding, "If they fail to achieve innovation in smart home areas incorporating AI or in new home appliance categories, they could lose leadership in the global market. That is why the new business strategies to be pursued under the new chiefs are important."