LG Uplus ramps up user experiences, platforms, metaverse

LG Uplus Corp., the third-largest mobile carrier in South Korea, is improving its user experiences as well as accelerating new businesses such as platforms, metaverse and electric vehicle charging services.

The telecom arm of LG Corp., Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, has recently more than doubled the team size of its life soft research/user experience (LSR/UX) center as well as put the center under the chief executive Hwang Hyeon-sik's direct control.

The center has been in charge of customer experiences in the telecom arm's physical and online stores for mobile plans, internet and smart home services. Before moving to direct control of the CEO, it was under LG Uplus' consumer unit which deals with business-to-customer (B2C) transactions.

The upgraded LSR/UX center will improve user experiences of all telecom and non-telecom products of the company.

"The success of our new businesses, such as media, smart home and mobility, depends on UX. We'll enhance connections between our services for the better quality of the platforms," said an LG Uplus official.

The center will also lead LG Uplus' major four platform businesses, lifestyle, entertainment, childcare and web 3.0, which the company emphasized in its mid-to-long-term growth strategy announced in September. The company aims to double its corporate value to 12 trillion won ($9.3 billion) in five years by increasing the non-telecom businesses to 40% of the total.

The mobile carrier has also implemented reorganizations to boost its new businesses.

The company has tapped an executive-level employee as the head of the consumer unit's subscription business to boost brands like Udok, the monthly subscription plan that provides services of 24 partner companies such as Netflix, Disney+ and food delivery platform Yogiyo at lower prices.

Additionally, LG Uplus transferred the previous next-generation technology lab to the metaverse service development lab, which focuses on a business-to-business (B2B) metaverse service called Uplus virtual office. The company also has set up EV charging business unit, directed by the company's Vice President Hyun Jun-yong.

It has also founded squad teams, which are smaller, more flexible and nimble than conventional team organization, for some new businesses like pet and healthcare. The company said it will speed up the future engine growth and quickly adjust plans to the business environment changes through such reorganizations.

Write to Han-Gyeol Seon at always@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.