🔥 LG Electronics: Could the cooling story turn into new-business numbers? - 2026.10.20

Hey, it’s me, Onion! Looking at things through the eyes of a department head who’s been around the market for 30 years, cooling is ultimately at the heart of the LG Electronics story these days. 🔥 The closing price that day was ₩163,300 and the change was -4.22%. It was a day when the stock wobbled briefly, but the weight of the news is clearly tilting toward cooling.

Cooling as a New Engine 🧊

Market In reported that LG Electronics aims to ride the AIDC market wave and significantly grow cooling-solutions revenue within 2 years ^[1]. Since the specific amount comes from a single outlet’s report, I’ll focus only on the direction here. The key trend is that data center cooling is drawing attention as a new growth driver.

The Seoul Economic Daily reported that LG CEO Ryu Jae-cheol said cooling technology will determine the competitiveness of AI data centers ^[3]. CEO Ryu also said securing computing power is key ^[2]. He made the remarks on August 29, 2026, at the North American Tech Conference in San Francisco, where he discussed directions for HVAC, mobility, and physical AI. To my ears, it sounds like a simple point—“Servers need electricity to run!”—but it really landed with weight.

Integrated Operations and Group Business Plans: Putting Plans into Action 📈

According to a Yonhap News TV report, CEO Ryu emphasized “integrated operations” in the AI cooling field ^[4]. It reads as a message that LG plans to run cooling as an integrated offering, rather than selling a single product. Looking at the trend, this doesn’t seem like something that will end as just talk.

The group is also making moves. LG Group is said to be holding business-plan review meetings for about a month, starting with its electronics affiliates such as LG Electronics, LG Display, and LG Innotek ^[5]. The focus is investment in future businesses, including AI, and the meetings are drawing attention as a year-end test of business reshuffling ahead of regular executive appointments scheduled for next month. It’s an interesting point that business plans and personnel changes are converging at the same time.

There’s news from the automotive electronics side, too. LG Electronics demonstrated V2X technology on a 2.6㎞ stretch of road in Gangneung, connecting vehicles, road infrastructure, and communications networks to warn of traffic-accident risks in advance ^[6]. The company says it plans to expand its global traffic-safety solutions business, drawing on its telematics technology, which ranks No. 1 in global market share. It’s a reminder that the company is about more than cooling.

Countervailing Factors and a Dad Joke 😂

But honestly, new-business stories ultimately have to be proven with numbers. The backdrop is still the volatility in third-quarter results. There are plenty of targets and promises, but where actual revenue will come from remains an open question. Still, Onion sees a clear bullish scenario for cooling. How quickly that scenario translates into the earnings report, though, is a separate matter.

Here’s a dad joke. Has LG Electronics been heating up over all this talk of cooling lately? No, it’s not cooling the heat—it’s “working like crazy” instead! Heh, heh~ Just kidding, so let it slide.

One question remains. Aren’t you most curious about how securing computing power will show up in actual orders and revenue?

📰 Reference News (6)

1

LG Electronics rides the AIDC wave…targets over 5 trillion in cooling-solutions revenue within 2 years - Market In

마켓인 · 2026.10.20

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2

LG Electronics to boost AI data center cooling efficiency…Ryu Jae-cheol: “Securing computing power is key”

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.20

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3

LG CEO Ryu Jae-cheol: “Cooling technology will determine AI data center competitiveness” - Seoul Economic Daily

서울경제 · 2026.10.20

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4

LG Electronics’ Ryu Jae-cheol emphasizes ‘integrated operations’ for AI cooling - Yonhap News TV

연합뉴스TV · 2026.10.20

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5

[Business at a standstill] ① Four major groups, starting with LG, begin business planning…AI investment and executive reshuffling face a year-end test

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.20

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6

LG Electronics demonstrates V2X technology to ‘prevent traffic accidents’ on a 2.6㎞ stretch of road in Gangneung - News Inside

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.20

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