LS vice chairman vows to seize global power, energy dominance from North America

LS Vice Chairman Myung Noh-hyun spent roughly 10 days on the ground in the United States, pressing ahead with the group's push into the North American power infrastructure market. The trip aimed to cement LS Group's local dominance in the power and energy sector — its core growth engine — as US-centered supply chain realignment accelerates.

According to LS, Myung opened his schedule June 18 (local time) by attending the Korea-US Strategic Industry and Security Forum in Washington, D.C. That day he also chaired a "US business strategy review meeting" with the heads of the group's key American operations, including Shim Yun-chan, division head of LS GreenLink; Lee Chung-hee, head of LS Electric's US subsidiary; Kim Man-jung, head of LS Mtron's US subsidiary; and Choi Chang-hee, chief executive of Essex Solutions.

At the meeting, Myung coordinated strategies for each affiliate to secure leadership in the North American market — covering ultra-high-voltage transformers, submarine cables and power distribution systems. He called for an upgraded localization strategy to turn strengthening trade barriers, including a buy-American preference, into opportunities.

He also met with South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, senior White House National Security Council and Office of the United States Trade Representative officials, and Rick West, mayor of Chesapeake, Virginia. Myung briefed them on LS Group's US investment progress and requested full government-level support, including expanded tax credits and flexible tariff measures.

Myung also conducted on-site inspections. He visited the LS GreenLink submarine cable factory under construction in Virginia — where a large-scale investment is underway — to encourage employees. "Global market attention to this factory is considerable," he said, urging staff to "complete the project on schedule through rigorous quality and safety management and by minimizing trial and error, so that this place can become a key base for the global energy transition."

On June 21 and 22, he visited the Atlanta headquarters of Superior Essex (SPSX), a winding and communications cable manufacturing affiliate, to discuss strategies for strengthening future businesses, including high-voltage winding for eco-friendly vehicles and data center communications cables. On June 23 and 24, he traveled to the LS Automotive factory in Monterrey, Mexico, to review plans for targeting the North American automotive electronics market.

LS Group currently operates 17 business sites across nine US states and plans to invest $3 billion over the next five years in projects including LS GreenLink's Virginia submarine cable facility and LS Electric's Utah power equipment factory.

"The North American market is a vast land of opportunity expected to sustain growth for decades, driven by AI data center scale-up, aging grid replacement and renewable energy infrastructure expansion," Myung said. "We will concentrate all of the group's capabilities on our businesses across the United States, establish them early, and seize dominance in the global power and energy industry."