LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo and MSIT Minster Yoo Young-min tour the special exhibition hall of the National Science Museum in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on July 27 at in which his collection of 105 bicycles was on display. (Photos: LS Group)

LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo

“Bicycles, over 200 years old, are a good example of scientific innovation, and it bears a resemblance to management. (A rider) will stumble without pedaling, and even though on an uphill road, he will hit a downhill road as a reward if he overcomes it.”

LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo made the remarks on July 27 at the special exhibition hall of the National Science Museum in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, in which his collection of 105 bicycles was on display. Chairman Koo owns about 300 bicycles and keeps them at LS Yongsan Tower and other places. Some relics, including wooden bicycles, are kept well preserved since they are unfit in temperature and humid climates.

He has served as chairman of the Korea Bicycle Association since 2009.
The exhibition of rare bicycles was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Songgang Foundation Koo chairs. The Songgang Foundation is a non-profit foundation established to conduct social contribution activities in the culture, arts and sport fields in accordance with his late father and LS founder Koo Pyeong-hoe.

Chairman Koo received a plaque of appreciation from MSIT Minster Yoo Young-min in recognition of his contribution to spreading bicycle culture and promoting public health at the National Science Museum.
At a speech at the exhibition, Minister Yoo said as the turns the way we dream and imagine, bicycles have continued to evolve. “As the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution begins, such innovative products as self-driving bicycles will continue to come out through convergence with new technologies,” he said.

Chairman Koo said the exhibition was a significant event, jointly hosted by the government and the private sector not only to help people know the development of science through bicycles, but also to shed new light on the values of bicycles.

Among the exhibits on display were 38 bicycles produced in the 1800s, including draisne, produced in 1817, and velocipede, a pedaled bicycle produced in 1867. Also on display were a folder-type military bicycle in use during World War I, produced in 1910, a recently produced bamboo bicycle, and an eight gear bicycle produced in 2018.

 
Drawing keen attention was the only cameo velocipede in the world, whose direction is contrived by the back wheel. An soon-to-be-opened bicycle museum will exhibit all bicycles to make a good bicycle culture.
If Korea’s bicycle portion of transportation rises from 2 percent to 10 percent, he said it would translate into 20 trillion won in economic value.

Chairman Koo is a bicycle aficionado.
He learned to ride a bicycle owned by his cousin, LS Nikko-Copper Chairman Koo Ja-hong, and went to kindergarten by bicycle at an age of six. He attempted to ride by bicycle from Seoul to Busan along with his younger brother E1 Chairman Koo Ja-yong, but failed as the bicycle broke. Chairman Koo became the first Asian cyclist to run the full course at the Trans-Alps Challenge in 2002. Climbing Mt. Baekdu by bicycle each day was challenging, but he never gave up.

“Bicycles bear a resemblance to life or management, so you have to pedal it so as not to fall off, and you must endure extreme situations as to overcome them. The exhibition will continue until Oct. 28.

A poster of an exhibition of rare bicycles collected by LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo.