LG promotes Korean culture in Paris

Visitors to LG Electronics’ “Life’s Good, Let’s Play” event gather outside ESpot Paris, an esports stadium in Paris, June 2 (local time). Courtesy of LG Electronics

By Baek Byung-yeul

LG Electronics held an event in Paris utilizing games and Korean culture to become more familiar with a younger demographic of customers in Europe, the company said Wednesday.

On June 1 and 2, LG Electronics, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center Paris, hosted an event titled “Life’s Good, Let’s Play,” where visitors could experience its innovative technologies and Korea’s culture.

At the event, held at ESpot Paris esports stadium in the French capital, participants played games on LG’s high-performance UltraGear gaming monitors and received coaching from famous gaming influencers.

People also had the chance to play traditional Korean games such as the sugar honeycomb game and a paper flipping game called “ddakji,” both of which appeared in the popular Netflix drama “Squid Game,” as part of the company’s efforts to help them get closer to Korean culture.

LG said especially the second day of the event, which featured popular YouTubers and former professional esports players, attracted more than 2,000 visitors.

“We organized this event for the YG (young generation), who are becoming increasingly influential in the French and European market,” Lee Cheon-guk, head of LG Electronics Europe, said. “We expect this event to enhance the brand image of LG Electronics as a sustainable future growth brand.”

On the first day, former professional gamer Kang Chan-yong, whose game ID is Ambition, winner of Riot Games’ League of Legends World Championship in 2017, hosted a conference shedding light on esports in Korea.

Visitors to LG Electronics’ “Life’s Good, Let’s Play” event watch an esports match between a Korean team comprised of retired players, and French esports team Karmine Corp at ESpot Paris esports stadium in Paris, June 2 (local time). Courtesy of LG Electronics

On the second day, a League of Legends match was held between a Korean all-star team of former professional gamers and French esports team Karmine Corp, which partnered with LG Electronics. The friendly match featured LG UltraGear gaming monitors that support up to 360-hertz refresh rates, the company said.

Along with the event, LG also participated in the Taste Korea exhibition, which is being run by the Korean Cultural Center Paris until Oct. 5 and features an exhibition on the history of global esports leaders, the company said.

LG plans to continue to engage with the younger generation to solidify its position as a premium brand in Europe’s fast-growing game-related market.

According to market research firm Future Market Insights, the gaming monitor market in Western Europe is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 6 percent to reach up to $1.16 billion in 2033.