LG Uplus President Hwang Hyun-sik speaks during his meeting with reporters at LG Uplus headquarters at Hangang-ro, Seoul, on June 30, since he took office. (Photos: LG Uplus)

LG Uplus President Hwang Hyun-sik revealed a plan to become a digital innovation powerhouse by strengthening customer-oriented management and achieving qualitative growth.

In his meeting with reporters at LG Uplus headquarters at Hangang-ro, Seoul, on June 30, President Hwang established customer satisfaction as LG Uplus’s greatest value.

He stressed making LG Uplus a telecom service provider with the lowest service cancelation rate, not indulging in raising the number of telecom subscribers.

President Hwang had stints dealing with customers for more than 20 years before he was climbed the ladder to become president.

Hwang was a seasoned business veteran. He began his career at LG Corp.’s chairman office in 1991. He held major positions on LG Telecom’s business development team, and was vice president in charge of PS at LG Uplus before being appointed to be president last November.

President Hwang has paid attention to customer-oriented management. After taking office as president, he soul searched whether his company, a telecom service provider, was in fact customer oriented.

In doing so, he revealed his determination to conduct business from customers’ perspective.

His view is that by offering services based on a thorough understanding of customers, the stronger growth momentum the company will have.

He stressed the need to secure new growth engines by raising the understanding of customers through using ID data accumulated in the process and expanding its portfolio to all related non-telecom businesses.

Hwang touched on securing competitiveness for B2C and B2B transactions.

To this end, he said LG Uplus will secure core capabilities in six major areas, such as AI, big data, cloud, security, B2B solutions, and content.

President Hwang said LG Uplus plans to raise the portion of the non-telecom business from current 20 percent to 30 percent. If necessary, he said, the telecom service provider will aggressively conduct M&As.

LG Uplus plans to increase the number of employees in the new business area from 800 to 4,000.

LG Uplus plans to reorganize its operations for efficient management. LG Electronics Senior Executive Vice President Chung Soo-heon was tapped to be the chief of the Consumer Business Division, who was vacated.

Hwang introduced Chung as a seasoned telecom expert, who once worked with Sprint of the United States. Chung was engaged in overseas marketing business at LG Electronics.

President Hwang inaugurated a department under the direct control of the CEO. He said LG Uplus will focus on unifying jobs of gathering, analyzing and utilizing data and accumulating capabilities.

The New Business Division will be reorganized in the children’s world business team, the content/platform business team, and the advertising business team.

President Hwang disclosed his views on the ongoing negotiations on a partnership with Disney Plus, the U.S. over-the-top (OTT) platform streaming channel.

LG Uplus is in a better position in negotiations with Disney than its rivals in consideration of the former’s securing of customer conveniences such as Android-based IPTV setup box and its successful partnership with global companies, he said.

LG Uplus President Hwang said LG Uplus is a better position in negotiations on a partnership with Disney Plus, which will launch over-the-top (OTT) services here, compared to his rivals.