LG Uplus and LG HelloVision will keep their current chief executives next year as they push to advance their businesses. Attention is on their leadership as they face tasks including the monetisation of AI-based new businesses and overcoming the slowdown in cable TV.

LG Group recently decided through its regular executive reshuffle to maintain Hong Beom-sik as head of LG Uplus and Song Gu-young as head of LG HelloVision.

LG Uplus made partial organisational adjustments, including promoting three executive vice presidents, one senior vice president and appointing seven new vice presidents, but the top post remains unchanged. LG HelloVision did not announce separate executive appointments.

Among the three mobile carriers, LG Uplus is the only one retaining its current leadership. Hong, who took office in November last year, is seen as having led the company smoothly during his first year.

In the first half, LG Uplus posted operating profit of 559,900,000,000 won, up 17.9 percent from a year earlier. In the third quarter, it passed 30 million wireless lines and increased its share of giga‑internet subscriptions by 5 percentage points.

Under Hong next year, LG Uplus is expected to speed up efforts to monetise its AI business. It has upgraded its AI call agent ixiO to version 2.0 and unveiled the ixiO AI Assistant developed with Google.

The company aims to raise ixiO users from the current 1,000,000 to more than 3,000,000 next year. It is also pursuing plans to supply the service to foreign carriers under a SaaS model. It will consider launching a paid model in the longer term based on subscriber growth.

The data centre business is also a new growth driver. Third‑quarter AIDC revenue rose 14.5 percent from a year earlier due to higher utilisation at the Pyeongchon 2 centre and expansion of DBO projects. The Paju AI data centre will open in 2027 and will incorporate technologies including liquid cooling.

Hong also plans to expand the Simply U+ brand philosophy, which focuses on reducing customer inconvenience and offering a trust‑based service experience. As part of this, LG Uplus is upgrading its AI‑based customer language converter to strengthen customer‑centred communication. A company official said it will expand communication in language that customers can easily understand using AI.

But security risks must be addressed. U.S. security outlet Fraq reported that a hacker group infiltrated the LG Uplus internal network using account information obtained by hacking SecureKey, a security partner of LG Uplus. The company initially said there were no signs of a leak and did not notify authorities. After criticism during a parliamentary audit, it reported the case to the Korea Internet and Security Agency.

Although smaller than the USIM hacking incident at SK Telecom or unauthorised micro‑payment cases at KT, the leak allegations alone could unsettle customers. Hong now faces the task of handling the allegations and strengthening security investment.

Song Gu‑young, who has led LG HelloVision since 2020, also remains in his post. His main challenge is to pave the way for a rebound in the sluggish cable TV market.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT’s second‑half 2024 pay‑TV subscriber data, LG HelloVision had 3,510,840 SO subscribers, ranking first among 14 SO operators. But the number was down 56,319 from a year earlier, highlighting the need for a rebound. Its mobile virtual network service also faces a tough market due to intensified price competition and individual wholesale negotiations.

Third‑quarter results were encouraging. Operating profit rose 172.8 percent, or 5,700,000,000 won, from a year earlier, showing improved profitability. A company official said it defended profitability by strengthening cost efficiency despite the broader downturn in broadcasting and telecom.

Rental services are emerging as a new growth engine. The company is securing new revenue from rental offerings such as air conditioners, dehumidifiers and air purifiers, following broadcasting and mobile services. But rental demand is highly seasonal, making it a key task for Song to build a sustainable profit model.