LG Group announced a sweeping executive reshuffle on Thursday, naming new chief executive officers at major affiliates, including LG Electronics and LG Chem, in a generational shift designed to strengthen the conglomerate’s future-focused management strategy.
Approved at year-end board meetings across affiliates, the 2026 personnel changes highlight LG’s continued emphasis on field-driven leadership and the recruitment of top research and development talent to power its next growth engines.
LG Electronics appointed Lyu Jae-cheol, head of its home appliance solution business, as its new CEO. A veteran with deep engineering and business expertise, Lyu succeeds Cho Joo-wan, who stepped down after four years to enable a generational transition.
LG Chem named Kim Dong-chun, head of its advanced materials division, as its new chief executive. Kim, promoted to president just a year after becoming vice president, will concurrently serve as CEO and lead the advanced materials unit. Outgoing CEO and Vice Chair Shin Hak-cheol will retire after seven years at the helm.
Legal service affiliate DnO also appointed a new leader, naming Lee Jae-woong, vice president and head of LG Electronics’ legal team, as CEO. In total, three affiliate CEOs were replaced in this year’s reshuffle.
The appointments accelerate a generational shift, with more leaders born in the 1970s now assuming top posts. Recent additions include Lee Sun-joo at LG Household & Health Care, Moon Hyuk-soo at LG Innotek and DnO’s Lee Jae-woong.
“We will continue to make personnel decisions flexibly to drive change and innovation,” an LG Group official said. “Our priority is reinforcing global competitiveness by strategically placing top talent in future technologies.”
To steer LG’s push into high-value sectors — including electronic components, advanced materials, HVAC systems and automotive electronics — the group also promoted key business leaders to president roles. The list includes chiefs at LG Innotek and LG Chem, as well as LG Electronics’ energy solutions head Lee Jae-sung and vehicle component solutions chief Eun Seok-hyun.
Aligned with Chair Koo Kwang-mo’s strategy to accelerate innovation and secure long-term growth, LG has aggressively expanded its talent pool in AI, bio and cleantech — its so-called “ABC” pillars. Over the past five years, more than a quarter of newly promoted executives have come from research and development, with ABC-related talent accounting for 21 percent of this year’s promotions.
The youngest executives promoted this year are all artificial intelligence specialists, including Kim Tae-hoon of LG CNS, datacenter director Cho Heon-hyeo and Lim Woo-hyung, head of LG AI Research — a clear signal of LG’s pivot toward technology-driven leadership.
LG also named its first female Chief Financial Officer, promoting LG Uplus’ Yeo Myung-hee to vice president. Three additional female executives were appointed in business, marketing and HR, while three vice presidents born in the 1980s were promoted, reinforcing the generational transition.
“This year’s executive reshuffle embodies Chair Koo Kwang-mo’s philosophy of embracing change, innovation and sustainable growth,” the official said. “We are driving generational renewal in core businesses while accelerating new growth through experienced field leaders and forward-looking R&D talent.”
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
