LG Electronics installs heat pumps in first occupied apartment complex in Korea

LG Electronics will install heat pumps in an occupied apartment complex for the first time in South Korea, launching a pilot project to demonstrate electrified cooling, heating and hot water supply in a Korean-style multi-unit residential setting. The move marks the company's push into the multi-unit housing market after establishing a foothold in single-family homes, replacing conventional boilers and gas piping with heat pump systems.

LG Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Development Corp. and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology at the Jeju International Convention Center to advance a "multi-unit housing cooling and heating electrification and Power-to-Heat (P2H) pilot project."

The pilot site is Sinhyo Apartments in Hyodon-dong, Seogwipo, Jeju Island — a seven-story building with one below-ground floor currently home to 12 households. LG Electronics plans to complete system design and break ground by October, finish construction in December and then begin full operational testing.

LG Electronics will handle overall heat pump system design, supply of high-efficiency products, commissioning, maintenance and performance evaluation based on operational data. Jeju Island will lead regulatory improvements and policy coordination, while Jeju Development Corp. will provide the pilot building and manage system operations. The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology will oversee P2H system design and data analysis.

LG Electronics intends to use the pilot as a springboard to expand heat pump adoption from single-family homes to apartments and multi-unit housing more broadly. Operational data gathered at Sinhyo Apartments will inform the development of a "Korean-style multi-unit housing electrification standard model" adaptable to public rental housing, existing building renovations and new residential complexes.

The company is proposing a "boiler-free apartment" model in which heat pumps handle cooling, heating and hot water supply in place of conventional boilers and gas piping. Heat pumps draw thermal energy from outdoor air for heating and cooling, and are widely regarded as an eco-friendly alternative to gas boilers.

Each unit will receive a heat pump connected to a single outdoor unit capable of providing both air conditioning and underfloor heating, maximizing space efficiency while allowing residents to set their own temperature preferences.

Rather than placing large hot water tanks in individual units, the system will use a centralized hot water facility in the building's common area to supply all units. Surplus electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels will power the heat pumps to store thermal energy for hot water supply, reducing strain on the power grid and cutting energy costs.

LG Electronics has operated a global heat pump business since 2008 and in 2018 became the first company in South Korea to supply a residential all-in-one heat pump boiler. This year, the company secured the largest number of households across both halves of Jeju Island's "2026 Jeju Lifestyle Heat Pump Distribution Project," earning the top-ranked supplier designation.

The company is also accelerating development of next-generation heat pump technology, operating cold-climate research centers in South Korea, Alaska, Oslo and Harbin, China to develop heat pump systems capable of high performance in extreme weather conditions.

"This pilot, conducted in an apartment where residents are actually living, is highly significant in that it validates an electrified heating, cooling and hot water model optimized for multi-unit housing," said Oh Se-gi, executive vice president and head of LG Electronics' ES Research Lab. "We will leverage our globally proven heat pump technology to lead the decarbonization and electrification transition in Korea's residential sector."