에릭 슈미트 구글 회장이 인천에 청라 지구에 있는 LG사업장을 방문했다. 슈미트 회장이 LG전자 부회장 구본준을 만났는지는 확인되지 않고 있지만 MC사업본부장 박종석 부사장 등 주요 임원을 만났다고 업계 관계자들이 전했다.

구글 회장이 LG와 만난 것은 2011년 이후 처음인 것으로 알려져 있다. 구글과 LG는 넥서스와 구글 TV등으로 맺어진 사이로, 현재 LG전자는 넥서스5의 출시를 앞두고 있다.

하지만 이번 방문의 목적은 구글이 개발하고 있는 무인자동차 관련 기술일 가능성이 높다고 관계자들은 귀뜸했다.

인천 청라에 있는 LG전자 사업장은 자동차 부품 R&D 단지이다. 이곳에서는 차체 설계부터 시작해 모터, 인버터, 차량용 디스플레이 등 차량의 주요 부품을 개발할 계획 이다.

LG전자는 지난 7월 자동차부품 관련 부서를 통합해 자동차 부품(VC·Vehicle Components) 사업본부를 신설했다

(코리아헤럴드 김지현, 신지혜 기자)

<관련 영문 기사>

Google chairman meets LG execs at Cheongna By Kim Ji-hyun and Shin Ji-hye

Google chairman Eric Schmidt on Thursday met with LG executives that could have included LG Electronics Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon to discuss bilateral issues including the upcoming Nexus 5, sources close to the matter told The Korea Herald.

Schmidt reportedly arrived in a helicopter that parked at LG’s building in Cheongra district in Incheon at around 6 p.m., the sources said.

Cheongra is where LG operates an R&D complex for auto parts including motors, inverters and auto displays.

"Since Google is developing driverless cars, there may be areas the two can cooperate in," said the source.

Schmidt earlier met with Samsung executives that are likely to have included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jay-yong during his visit here.

This is the chairman’s fourth visit to Korea. The last time he visited was in September last year.

Google and LG have an ongoing Nexus project, namely the Nexus 5, which was to be launched earlier but was reportedly deferred due to LG Electronics’ concerns about overshadowing the G Flex, which is the electronics maker’s first curved phone, competing against Samsung’s Galaxy Round.

LG’s high-end Chrome lineup also may have been a topic for discussion, the sources said.

There had been little news about whether the Google chairman would be visiting LG, but sources said Schmidt would not have visited Samsung without also visiting LG.


jemmie@heraldcorp.com