[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] Cho Ji-tae, Executive Vice President and Head of the Package Solutions Business Division at LG Innotek, who has led the company’s optical and semiconductor substrate businesses, was awarded the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for his contributions to strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic electronics and information technology (IT) industry.

LG Innotek announced that Executive Vice President Cho received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit at the 21st “Electronics and IT Day” commemorative event held on the 13th at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul.

Electronics and IT Day was established in 2005 to elevate the status of related industries and to commend individuals who have contributed to the nation’s economic development. Executive Vice President Cho was recognized for his contributions to fostering the global materials and components business, driving production innovation based on Artificial Intelligence Transformation (AX), and localizing core equipment.

In particular, his contribution to LG Innotek achieving cumulative exports totaling 80 trillion won from 2021 through last year was cited as a key reason for the award.

Executive Vice President Cho, who joined LG Innotek in 2004, is a production and yield expert who has consistently improved the quality and production competitiveness of core businesses such as Optical Solutions and Package Solutions. Starting as the head of the Vietnam production subsidiary in 2017, he served as the head of Optical Solutions production before taking on the role of head of the Optical Solutions Business Division, a position he held until last year.

In the Optical Solutions business, he established an automated quality inspection and improvement system by integrating AI into the entire process—from the development to the mass production of mobile camera modules. Building on this, he increased production yield and strengthened the market position of the camera module business. LG Innotek’s revenue from mobile camera modules last year increased more than 30-fold compared to 2010, when the smartphone market was in its infancy.

At the end of last year, Executive Vice President Cho moved to the position of Head of the Package Solutions Business Division, which oversees the semiconductor substrate business. Amid growing demand for high-value-added semiconductor substrates driven by the expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) market, he is simultaneously pursuing the expansion of production lines and the stabilization of yield rates.

LG Innotek produces core semiconductor substrates such as Radio Frequency System-in-Package (RF-SiP) and Flip Chip Chip-Scale Package (FC-CSP). It is also expanding its new business in Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) substrates.

Executive Vice President Cho is spearheading a large-scale investment initiative to more than double the company’s semiconductor substrate production capacity. Through this effort, the company aims to grow its package solutions business to generate 1 trillion won in operating profit within the next five years.

His contributions to the domestic industrial ecosystem and the local economy were also recognized as part of his award. Executive Vice President Cho supported the localization of core equipment by allocating approximately 80% of the investment funds for optical equipment to domestic equipment manufacturers. He also continued to invest in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province—a production hub for optical and packaging solutions—thereby contributing to the creation of new jobs.

Executive Vice President Cho stated, “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of all LG Innotek employees, yet I also feel a heavy sense of responsibility,” adding, “I will do my utmost to ensure the company continues to grow as a global electronics and IT leader representing South Korea.”