The Birthplace of LG Home Appliances That Created the Styler and TWINWash... 'Gasan R&D Campus' Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

[Financial News] In 1975, LG Electronics Inc. took its first step as Korea’s first comprehensive research institute established by a private company. The Gasan R&D Campus (formerly the GoldStar Central Research Institute) now marks its 50th anniversary. It has been the cradle of self-sufficiency in electronic technology and stands as a symbol of 'Korea’s entry into the electronics era,' contributing to national development through the electronics industry.
LG Electronics Inc. announced on the 9th that it held a commemorative event on the 8th at the Gasan R&D Campus in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, under the theme '50 Years of Technology and Passion, a Promise for Tomorrow.'
In December 1975, GoldStar (now LG Electronics Inc.) established the Central Research Institute as a systematic research hub, aiming for self-reliance in electronic technology. As a latecomer in the global home appliance industry, GoldStar sought to reduce its dependence on technology from Japanese manufacturers. To achieve this, it recruited top Korean scholars from abroad and PhDs from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to focus on technology development. At a time when most domestic companies operated small research units within individual factories, the Central Research Institute covered a wide range of products, including home appliances and computers, and oversaw new product development, quality improvement, and production system automation. By the late 1970s, research on semiconductor wafers and semiconductors was also underway.
Through successive expansions, the total floor area now reaches 115,702 square meters (about 35,000 pyeong). The number of resident staff, which was only a few dozen at the time of opening, has grown to around 1,700.
Innovative products that have opened new horizons in home appliances were born here. Notably, in 1998, the world’s first Direct Drive Motor (DD Motor) connected the motor directly to the washing drum without a belt, and in 2001, the Linear Compressor for refrigerators enabled linear motion instead of rotation. The Dual Inverter Air Conditioner, launched in 2016 as Korea’s first, improved energy efficiency by up to 40% compared to previous models and won the top honor at the prestigious Edison Awards in the United States.
The robust technological foundation developed here has allowed LG Electronics Inc. to continuously introduce groundbreaking appliances such as the LG Styler clothing care system in 2011, the world’s first LG TWINWash dual washer in 2015, and the LG UP Appliances in 2022, which feature ongoing functional upgrades.
Home appliances developed and researched at the Gasan R&D Campus have swept performance evaluations and consumer satisfaction rankings in the United States, Europe, and other countries, earning recognition for world-class technological excellence. This year, LG Electronics Inc. ranked highest among comprehensive appliance brands for the sixth consecutive year in the 'Most Reliable Appliance Brand' category announced by Consumer Reports, a leading U.S. consumer publication. It also received the most awards in the 'Appliance Consumer Satisfaction Survey' conducted by U.S. market research firm J.D. Power.
Currently, the research center is engaged in studies not only on home appliances but also on motors, inverters, microorganisms, advanced platforms, clothing science, and air science. Lee Hyun-wook, Executive Vice President and Head of the HS Research Center at LG Electronics Inc., stated, "Building on the world-class technological capabilities accumulated over the past 50 years, we will establish ourselves as a strategic hub leading the new era of AI-powered homes and as the center of R&D innovation, delivering products that offer differentiated customer value."

one1@fnnews.com Jung Won-il Reporter