LG Chem051910.KS
About LG Chem
LG Chem is South Korea's largest diversified chemicals producer and a key affiliate of the LG Group. Its petrochemical segment turns naphtha into plastics, synthetic rubbers, and specialty polymers used across manufacturing industries. An advanced-materials division supplies cathode materials for batteries along with engineering plastics and display-related products, and a life-sciences unit develops pharmaceuticals and vaccines. The company is also the majority shareholder of LG Energy Solution, the separately listed battery maker spun out of its former battery division, so consolidated results and asset value are heavily influenced by that holding even though the businesses operate independently.
Since the battery spin-off, the shares have traded partly as a holding vehicle for LG Energy Solution, and the discount applied to that stake is a persistent valuation question that made the carve-out a touchstone in Korea's debate over split listings and minority-shareholder treatment. The base petrochemical business is deeply cyclical, squeezed when Chinese capacity additions and soft global demand compress spreads. Cathode materials tie a growing share of earnings to electric-vehicle demand and to United States and European supply-chain policies. Life sciences adds a small diversifying stream, while preferred shares offer a discounted entry point.
LG Chem is the founding company of the LG Group: Koo In-hwoi established Lak Hui Chemical Industrial in 1947, making cosmetics and then Korea's first plastics products, and the "L" in LG still stands for that Lucky lineage. Over decades it grew into the country's largest chemicals producer, adding petrochemical crackers, engineering plastics, and information-technology materials. The company incubated Korea's lithium-ion battery industry from the 1990s, and the 2020 decision to carve that division out as LG Energy Solution, followed by the subsidiary's 2022 listing, reshaped the company into a diversified chemicals-and-materials firm that doubles as the battery maker's majority owner.
The petrochemical segment sells commodity and specialty polymers to converters and manufacturers at prices tied to naphtha spreads, a margin-driven business where feedstock costs and Chinese capacity set the cycle. Advanced materials generates revenue from cathode materials sold to battery-cell makers, including its own subsidiary, under volume agreements linked to metals prices, plus engineering plastics for automotive customers. Life sciences sells pharmaceuticals domestically and is investing in global clinical programs. Exports and overseas production account for a large share of sales across segments. Competitive standing rests on integration from base chemicals to high-value materials, a breadth few Asian chemical companies replicate.
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LG Chem coverage
13 articles
LG Chem Wins Seven-Year OLED Patent War at Korea's Supreme Court, Imperiling Samsung Display's Materials Supplier
Korea's Supreme Court upheld LG Chem's patent on deuterium-substituted OLED compounds, dismissing a seven-year challenge by SFC — a materials supplier backed 29.7% by Samsung Ventures. A parallel civil suit seeking a production ban and hundreds of billions of KRW in damages now moves forward on settled patent ground.
LG Chem Enters Semiconductor Stripper Market With Amkor Technology Deal, Eyes KRW 2 Trillion Materials Revenue
LG Chem entered the semiconductor stripper market on July 5, announcing a mass-production supply deal with Amkor Technology. The customized stripper cuts photoresist removal time by 50% and supports the company's target to double electronic materials revenue to KRW 2 trillion by 2030.
LG Chem Clears FDA Hurdle for LG00313112, a Novel Covalent TP53 Inhibitor for Rare Solid Tumors
LG Chem (051910.KS) won U.S. FDA IND clearance for LG00313112, a first-in-class covalent TP53 Y220C inhibitor licensed from Frontier Medicines, targeting ovarian, lung, and breast cancers in Phase 1/2 trials.
LG Chem Passes Government Naphtha Relief to SME Customers, Cutting Supply Prices Up to KRW 200,000 Per Ton
LG Chem CEO Kim Dong-chun announces a temporary KRW 100,000–200,000 per tonne price cut for small and medium-sized customers, passing on a government naphtha subsidy to ease downstream cost pressures.
Ecopro BM (247540.KQ) $341M Bond Put Looms; LG Chem PRS Eyed
LG Chem Commits KRW 15 Trillion to R&D by 2035, Targeting Semiconductor Packaging and Robotics Materials
LG Chem commits KRW 15 trillion (USD 9.74 billion) in R&D through 2035, with 70% targeted at semiconductor, EV, and robotics materials and 30% at anticancer drugs, as the company pivots from petrochemicals to high-margin specialties.
LG Chem Partners with UK's LabGenius to Halve Cancer Antibody Discovery Timeline, Eyes Triple-Digit Milestones
LG Chem and UK-based LabGenius Therapeutics have signed a multi-year collaboration to develop AI-designed cancer antibodies using the EVA platform, with potential triple-digit million USD milestones.
LG Chem Defends Eutropin, Korea's No. 1 Growth-Hormone Brand
LG Chem releases 14-year observational data on growth hormone Eutropin, confirming 0.2% serious adverse reaction rate and stable thyroid/glucose markers, as new EcoPen device aims to defend Korea's top pediatric growth-hormone franchise.
KB Lifts LG Chem (051910.KS) to ₩470,000 on Q2 Profit Swing
PremiumLG Chem (051910.KS) Q1 2026: Battery Drag Tips Group to ₩50B Operating Loss
Korea's KFTC Raids LG Chem, Hanwha Solutions, OCI, Aekyung in PVC Cartel Probe
Korea's antitrust regulator on Thursday opened on-site investigations into four of the country's largest petrochemical producers — LG Chem (051910.KS), Hanwha Soluti
LG Chem (051910.KS) — FY2025 Financial Analysis
LG Energy Solution posts ₩207.8 billion Q1 loss; LG Chem swings to deficit
Frequently asked questions
What does LG Chem do?
LG Chem is South Korea's largest diversified chemicals company, producing petrochemicals, engineering plastics, cathode materials for batteries, and pharmaceuticals through its life-sciences unit. It is also the majority shareholder of LG Energy Solution, the separately listed electric-vehicle battery maker spun off from its former battery division.
Who controls LG Chem?
LG Corp, the LG Group's holding company controlled by the founding Koo family, is LG Chem's largest shareholder. Below LG Chem sits majority-owned LG Energy Solution, making the chemicals company an intermediate layer in the group's ownership chain. Remaining shares are held broadly by domestic and international institutions.
How can foreign investors get exposure to LG Chem?
LG Chem's common and preferred shares trade on the Korea Exchange under ticker 051910. Foreign investors typically buy through brokers offering Korean market access or via Korea-focused and chemical-sector ETFs. Owning LG Chem also provides indirect exposure to LG Energy Solution through the majority stake.
Answers are editorial summaries for general information, not investment advice.
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