Lg Elec S/Gdr 144A

Good afternoon. My name is Wonjae Park from Investor Relations. Thank you for joining our earnings call for the second quarter of 2026. With me are Sangtae Kim, CFO and EVP of LG Electronics from each company's business management division, Jongin Yoo from HS, Sangho Park, SVP of MS, Jiyong Kim, VP of VS, and Donghun Shin, VP of ES. from Headquarters, Jiwon Park, SVP of Corporate Business Management, Youngkyun Kim, VP of Finance, Ingeun Park, Head of Accounting, and Seokkyung Pae, Head of Robotics, Sales, and Marketing Division. Today's presentation will proceed as follows. Our CFO will review the Q2 2026 results in Q3 Outlook and provide updates on our new growth initiatives and share buyback program. I will then present the second quarter financial highlights. After that, each business will share its individual results and outlook. Please note that all statements made today regarding the second quarter financial results are subject to change in accordance with external review. Actual results may differ from today's outlook, and forward-looking statements due to market uncertainties and strategic adjustments. Now, let us begin with the Q2 2026 performance review and the Q3 outlook. Good afternoon. I am Changse Kim, CFO of LG Electronics. In Q2, consolidated sales reached 23.8 trillion won with operating income of 1.57 trillion won. Despite subdued consumer sentiment amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties and heightened competition, total sales grew year over year, driven by strong home appliance sales, a higher sales mix of premium TVs, and continued growth in automotive electronics. Operating income improved year-over-year despite higher logistics costs related to the conflict in the Middle East and rising memory costs. Key drivers include overall sales growth, a higher mix of high-value added products, continued cost structure improvements, enhanced operational efficiency, and tariff refunds. In Q3, escalating geopolitical risks are expected to drive up oil and raw material prices. Softening consumer sentiment driven by inflation in key markets along with intensified competition is expected to weigh on business operations. However, resilient demand in emerging markets and rapidly growing AI data center demand are expected to provide growth opportunities. Against this backdrop, we will expand the share of high-value added products through differentiated offerings and strengthen our cost competitiveness through cost structure improvements and enhanced operational efficiency. In addition, we will leverage our Global South strategy to strengthen our presence in high-growth markets and maintain momentum in our core businesses while driving continued growth in automotive electronics and expanding our B2B portfolio, including chillers and AI data center cooling solutions. Furthermore, we will strengthen our profitability by expanding our subscription business and online direct sales along with the webOS platform ecosystem. Now, let me briefly provide an update on our new growth drivers, including robotics and AI data center cooling solutions. First, we newly established a robotics business center to accelerate our robotics business with greater speed and agility. This enables us to drive the commercialization of our robotics business end-to-end by integrating core capabilities across the organization We expect to strengthen execution and improve operational efficiency. In addition, we are building Korea's largest robotics data factory, targeting its launch in the second half of this year. At the facility, we are gradually deploying CLOID, our humanoid robots, currently being mass produced for POC validation. This will enable us to secure high quality training data across diverse domains and accelerate collaboration with domestic and global partners, including the advancement of RFMs, further strengthening our robotics competitiveness. We also made meaningful progress in the commercialization of actuators, a key component of robotics. The pilot production line has been successfully completed and production of the initial actuators for our humanoid robot is now underway. In the second half, we will pursue business opportunities with potential customers while accelerating mass production in line with order visibility. Now let me turn to the progress of our AI data center cooling solutions business. We are starting to see tangible results from our efforts to secure overseas orders. Orders exceeded 600 billion won in the first half and production is currently underway. We are targeting AI data center project orders worth several trillion won by year end. This order momentum has been driven by supply chain bottlenecks as existing suppliers struggle to keep pace with rapidly growing demand. As a result, major industry players are actively seeking new suppliers with strong product competitiveness and reliable supply capabilities. Looking ahead, we remain positive on our order outlook, supported by our strong track record and favorable customer feedback on product quality and on time delivery. We will continue to expand our domestic and overseas production capacity to support rapidly growing order volumes, ensuring timely execution of our existing order backlog, while further enhancing our competitiveness in securing orders from global customers. We are also seeing tangible progress in securing component qualification certifications from leading global technology companies, including NVIDIA. As announced on NVIDIA's website, certain models of our CDU, a key component of our liquid cooling solutions, have received certification. Additional product certification efforts are also progressing smoothly, and we expect to have positive developments to share in the near future. Lastly, We have completed the 100 billion won share buyback program as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance shareholder value. The share buyback program began earlier this year and was completed ahead of schedule. The repurchase shares will be canceled before year end. We remain committed to enhancing shareholder value and will continue to pursue initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to our shareholders. Thank you. I will now briefly review the Q2 2026 performance of enterprise-wide operations in each business. Our consolidated financial results for Q2 were 23.82 trillion won in sales and 1.57 trillion won in operating income. HS recorded sales of 7.75 trillion won and operating income of 685.9 billion won. MS recorded sales of 5.11 trillion won and operating income of 219.4 billion won. VS recorded sales of 3.25 trillion won and operating income of 191.2 billion won. Lastly, ES recorded sales of 2.72 trillion won and operating income of 235.8 billion won. Next, let me turn to our B2B and subscription businesses which serve as key drivers of qualitative growth in our portfolio transformation. In Q2, B2B sales grew year over year, driven by strong growth in automotive electronics, supported by a solid order backlog, along with continued growth in the ID and IT businesses. In addition, the share of B2B sales and total revenue remained stable, providing a solid foundation for qualitative growth. In Korea, the subscription business maintained its growth momentum both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter, further reinforcing its competitive edge through differentiated care services. The overseas subscription business continues to grow, and we are expanding into new markets, including the Middle East, beyond Malaysia and Thailand. Though still in the early stages of overseas expansion, we will accelerate growth by swiftly establishing necessary business infrastructure in each market. We will continue to improve our performance by further strengthening our portfolio, including our B2B and subscription businesses. Moving on to the income statement and cash flow for Q2. Reflecting financial income and expenses, equity method gains and losses, and non-operating items, corporate tax, and discontinued operations. The Q2 net income was 781.3 billion won. Now let's look at cash flow. Cash flow from operating activities was 2.45 trillion won, while cash flow from investing activities was negative 760.8 billion won, resulting in a net cash flow of 1.86 trillion won. When reflecting a negative 430.8 billion won in cash flow from financing activities, the cash balance at the end of Q2 stood at 10.69 trillion won, up 1.43 trillion won from the previous quarter. Key financial positions and indicators for Q2 are as follows. At the end of Q2, assets stood at 73.7 trillion won, liabilities at 41.8 trillion won, and equity at 31.9 trillion won. Leverage ratios including liability to equity, debt to equity, and net debt to equity have improved and remain at healthy levels. Now, we will hear from each business regarding its Q2 2026 results and Q3 outlook, beginning with HS. Here are the Q2 results for the HS business. Sales continued to grow as we proactively addressed market uncertainties through our two-track strategy, strengthening both premium and entry-level product lineups, while further advancing our portfolio through B2B, online direct sales, and subscription businesses. Operating income improved significantly year over year as we enhanced operational efficiency through cost structure improvements and supply chain optimization, mitigating certain cost pressures. This was further supported by U.S. tariff refunds. Looking ahead to Q3, uncertainties in the external business environment are expected to persist. Inflationary pressures in major markets are likely to dampen consumer sentiment resulting in subdued demand in the short term. In response, we will continue to build on our proven two-track strategy and portfolio advancement efforts while strengthening profitability through proactive efforts. In addition, we will further reinforce our business fundamentals and profitability by expanding our presence in the Global South where demand remains relatively robust. Let's turn to our outlook for the global appliance market demand in 2026. We update this forecast twice a year and by sharing our view, we aim to provide our perspective on global demand trends and corresponding strategies. Please note that this outlook focuses on the year-over-year market demand forecast, not our appliance revenue. Actual market conditions may differ from this outlook due to various factors. such as economic policies on tariffs, interest rates, and other variables, as well as geopolitical issues. In the global home appliance market, the gradual recovery in demand that began in the second half of last year continued into the first half of 2026. However, demand is expected to weaken significantly in the second half across most regions outside of India and China due to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and renewed tensions in the Middle East. Consequently, global demand for 2026 is expected to grow modestly. In North America, the housing market recovery is expected to remain gradual amid elevated interest rates resulting in somewhat softer demand for home appliances in the second half. We expect consumer spending to become more polarized with some consumers feeling a greater impact from inflation than others. Therefore, we are broadening our product coverage by offering differentiated products in the premium segment while reinforcing our lineup of cost-competitive products in the volume segment. We also plan to strengthen our market position in the Global South where demand remains relatively resilient by launching new products tailored to local market needs and designed to enhance local competitiveness. Through these initiatives, we are positioning the Global South as a new growth engine alongside our traditional core markets. Despite continued macroeconomic uncertainties in 2026, we remain committed to building a more resilient business structure that minimizes the impact of external factors on our business. Let's now turn to the Q2 results for the MS Business. Global TV market demand grew modestly, supported by promotional events such as the FIFA World Cup and Amazon Prime Day. Against this backdrop, we delivered strong year-over-year sales growth through a higher mix of premium products, including OLED, QNED, and ultra-large TVs, continued growth in emerging markets, and the expansion of WebOS platform revenue. Operating income improved significantly year-over-year, extending the strong momentum from the previous quarter. Key drivers included a higher mix of high-value added products, greater efficiency and competitive spending, enhanced cost competitiveness, reduced fixed costs, and ongoing operational efficiency efforts. Looking ahead to Q3, TV market demand is expected to decline slightly year-over-year reflecting heightened macroeconomic volatility driven by the prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and rising raw material costs, weakened consumer sentiment due to inflation, and the pull-forward effect of demand related to major sporting events. We will continue to improve our cost structure and operational efficiency while increasing the proportion of high-value added products in our sales portfolio. Through the continued growth of the webOS platform business, we aim to maintain solid profitability in Q3. I will now review the Q2 results for the VS business. Sales maintained year-over-year growth supported by the continued stable growth of the infotainment business. Operating income improved year-over-year supported by sales growth and ongoing efforts to improve cost and operational efficiency. Looking ahead to Q3, given continued softness and EV demand and ongoing external uncertainties, Global automotive demand is expected to recover gradually in the near term. While market uncertainties may continue to pose risks, we expect to maintain stable sales growth. We will also continue to secure stable profitability through improved cost efficiency and enhanced operational efficiency. I will now review the Q2 results for the ES business. Despite weak demand in the Korean market amid heightened competition and a slowdown in the construction sector, sales grew slightly year-over-year driven by increased air conditioner sales in overseas markets. Despite positive factors such as sales growth, profitability declined year-over-year due to higher logistics costs stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, increased competitive spending, and higher personnel expenses related to the new growth initiatives. Looking ahead to Q3. We expect the business environment to remain challenging amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East and intensified competition across the market. In response, we will further enhance profitability in Korea through our subscription business and online direct sales, while accelerating global growth by expanding revenue from eco-friendly, high-efficiency and region-specific products, as well as customer-tailored solutions in overseas markets. This brings us to the end of LG Electronics Q2 2026 Earnings Release and Q3 Outlook. We will now take questions. Operator, please begin the Q&A session.

Now Q&A session will begin.

Please press star 1, that is star and 1, if you have any questions. Questions will be taken according to the order you have pressed the number star 1. For cancellation please press star 2, that is star and 2 on your phone. The first question will be provided by Kango Park from Daishin Securities. Please go ahead with your question.

Hello, I'm Park Geo-ho from Daejin. First of all, thank you for the opportunity to ask a question. I would like to congratulate you on your good performance even in difficult environments. I would like to ask a question about one of the military questions and one about the HHS headquarters. First of all, there was a recent visit to the NVIDIA CEO's twin, and there was also an article that he met with the LG management team. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVIDIA right now. I am wondering if there is any cooperation between NVIDIA and NVID Elec S & Gdr 144A

Good afternoon. Thank you for taking my questions. First of all, I would like to deliver my congratulatory message to you on your good performance under harsh conditions nowadays. I have brought two questions today, first on the corporate-wide operations and second one on HS. There have been recent news articles about the NVIDIA CEO visiting the Twin Towers and meeting with the management of your affiliates. That said, I would like to know more about your ongoing collaboration with NVIDIA. Specifically, what are the specific areas and current stages of collaboration that have been materialized so far, and what does the future roadmap look like? Also, is there any possibility of a collaboration similar to the NVIDIA and Unitree case, or potential participation in the platform ecosystem?

For HS, with the SCFI trending upward, are you seeing requests from carriers for higher freight rates? Also, to what extent are you able to control your logistics cost, and what is your outlook for logistics cost in the second half of the year?

Thank you for your question.

The CFO will address the first question regarding collaboration with NVIDIA, and H.S. will respond to the second question regarding logistic costs.

Yes, I will talk about the situation of NVIDIA. First of all, in the field of robots, we aim to establish a concept of a robot for the manufacturing site with the goal of connecting the technology of LG's robot hardware and the manufacturing capacity with NVIDIA's physical AI technology. I would like to address your question regarding the current status of our collaboration with NVIDIA.

In the robotics sector, we are pursuing a joint project aimed at combining LG's robot hardware technology and manufacturing capabilities with NVIDIA's physical AI technology stack. This involves testing robots for manufacturing sites from the proof of concept stage all the way to actual application. We're also collaborating on building a data robot factory, advancing robot foundation models, and developing Simulation and Vertification Platforms.

In addition, in the AI Factory field, NVIDIA's AI data center communication platform and the company's infrastructure solution are in progress, and we are also working to develop high-precision cooling technology, which is the key task of the next-generation AI data center. Recently, the company's AI data center cooling core component, CEDU 일부 모델이 NVIDIA의 인정을 획득하는 소기의 성과도 있었습니다.

Furthermore, in the AI factory sector, we are pursuing the integration of NVIDIA's AI data center platform with our infrastructure solutions. We are also collaborating on the development of advanced high-density cooling technologies, which are regarded as a key challenge for next-generation AI data centers. Recently, we achieved a meaningful milestone as certain models of our CDU, a core cooling component for AI data centers, obtained NVIDIA certification. In the mobility sector, specific and direct collaboration between the engineering teams of both companies have begun for the development of the AIDV platform. Currently, practical work is underway, such as reviewing next-generation high-performance computing platform technologies and setting up a development environment.

Yangsan is one of the leading companies in the physical AI market, Facing a major market inflection point known as physical AI,

Both LG and NVIDIA share the understanding that collaboration is necessary across various areas based on our respective core competencies. From this perspective, we believe that a strategic partnership at the platform ecosystem level can certainly be considered in the future.

I would like to answer the question about the future of logistics. With the increase in demand for Chinese-made water in the Middle East, Elec S & Gdr 144A

Let me answer your question on logistics costs for the second half of the year. The SEFI has been trending upward, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and increased cargo demand from China. During our freight negotiations for the second half of the year, carriers requested rate increases, resulting in higher base ocean freight rates compared to the first half of the year. However, with additional vessel capacity expected to enter the market, and global shipping demand likely to moderate after the peak season, we will continue to renegotiate terms with carriers by leveraging our large-scale volume and long-standing relationships. In parallel, we are working to improve freight conditions through further negotiations while optimizing inland transportation, trucking, and warehouse operations, all of which are aimed at minimizing the impact of higher logistic costs.

In summary, after February, the SCFIA has risen due to the increase in water levels in specific regions. However, Mr. Haesang is looking at the third quarter as the peak, Elec S & Gdr 144A

In summary, although the SEFI has risen since February due to geopolitical disruptions and increased cargo volumes from certain regions, we expect ocean freight rates to peak in the third quarter. From the fourth quarter, easing market conditions and the full impact of our renegotiation efforts should drive rates back toward prior year levels. We are proactively managing logistic costs within a controllable range and we expect with just the cost pressures to gradually ease as we approach the latter half of the year.

Next question please.

The following question will be presented by Jonggi Kim from Hyundai Motor Securities. Please go ahead with your question.

Hello, I'm Jong-bae Kim from Hyundai. First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to ask a question. Recently, I have two questions about the robotics business that are of interest in the market. The first is a question related to actuators. We are in a hurry to commercialize the robotics actuator, and we would like to ask you to share about the line setup, road map, and future sales and revenue prospects within the range that can be shared. The second question is about the establishment of a robotics business center. We expect to go through the business process due to the establishment of a robotics business center, and in more detail, I am curious about the structure of the business with our subsidiaries, such as Bear Robotics, Robusta, and other companies directly related to us, or with our subsidiaries, such as Display and Camera. Thank you for taking my questions.

I have two questions as well, and they both address the robotics market, which has garnered quite a lot of interest in the market these days. For the first question, we understand that you are accelerating the commercialization of robotic actuators Could you provide an update on the progress of commercialization efforts, including production line setup, as well as your outlook for the future sales and profitability within the scope that can be disclosed? And for the second question, we believe the newly established Robotics Business Center will play a key role in overseeing commercialization efforts. Could you elaborate on how collaboration is structured among relevant companies, including your HF company, where Robotics, RoboSTAR, and other LG affiliates like DS Also, how do you define your target position within the robotics value chain over the long term? Thank you.

Yes, thank you for your question.

For the question on the actuators, it will be answered by HS, and for the Robotics Business Center, it will be answered by our Robotics Sales Market Division.

I will share with you the progress of the actuator business. As the CFO mentioned earlier, the company completed the construction of the actuator pilot line at Cheongwon Factory in the first half of the year, and is currently conducting mass production and quality stabilization through mass production. Let me provide an update on the progress of our actuator business.

As previously noted by our CFO, we completed the actuator pilot line at our Changwon site during the first half and are now focused on validating manufacturability and ensuring quality stability through initial production. We are also investing in automation as well as additional infrastructure to support stable quality. In parallel, we are actively engaged in joint development and broader strategic collaborations The startups as well as leading robotic companies in Korea, Europe, and North America. However, we ask for your understanding that we are unable to disclose specific partners at this time. We are accelerating the establishment of our business foundation by expanding both our product portfolio and production capabilities. Leveraging these early commercialization capabilities, we aim to grow the actuator business into a meaningful contributor to the company's overall financial performance.

In terms of partnership, in June this year, Robotiz and MOU are working together to intensify technology and business cooperation, We are discussing various types of additional cooperation.

On the partnership front, we signed an MOU with Lumbaris in June to expand our technology and business collaboration and are currently discussing additional forms of collaboration to further strengthen our market responsiveness.

Our ultimate goal for the robotics business is Elec S & Gdr 144A Elec S & Gdr 144A Elec S & Gdr 144A Elec S &

Our ultimate goal in robotics is to become a provider of customized physical AI solutions by not only developing and manufacturing robots and key components, but also integrating data platforms, AI agents, and robot operating systems. In achieving these goals, the newly established Robotics Business Center has been tasked with overseeing the entire robotics value chain from identifying business opportunities and building supply chains to manufacturing and sales, while consolidating the company's core robotic capabilities.

In addition to the relationship between the self-employed and the investment company, it also leads the overall cooperation between the group and the external partners. In particular, the partnership between the group and the external partners Elec S & Gdr 144A

The Robotics Business Center is leading not only the integration of capabilities across our subsidiaries and portfolio companies, but also broader collaboration across LG affiliates and external partners. In particular, under the OneLG initiative, we are driving business expansion by leveraging group-wide capabilities, including Excel One from LG AI Research, software platform expertise from LG CNS, vision and robotic hand technologies from LG InnoTech, and battery technologies from LG Energy Solution to create tangible synergies across the physical AI value chain.

In addition to big tech companies including NVIDIA, we are also cooperating with China Robotics, which is a competitive company. Since we are discussing with partners, if the related content is more detailed,

We are advancing collaboration discussions not only with global technology leaders including NVIDIA, but also with competitive Chinese robotic companies. As these discussions are still ongoing with our partners, we will provide further updates once details are finalized and mutually agreed upon. Thank you. Next question, please.

The following question will be presented by Ye-Hyung Kwon from J.P. Morgan.

Please go ahead with your question.

Elec S & Gdr 144A Thank you for taking my questions.

I have brought two questions. First is on corporate-wide operations. I understand that following the court ruling that found certain US tariff measures unlawful, LGE has also received refunds of tariffs previously paid. Could you share, to the extent possible, whether all refund procedures have been completed and including the tariff refunds received, the approximate amount of one-time gains recognized in the second quarter.

For my second question, could you highlight on the progress of LG Magna, especially with regards to growth in global customers, the operating status of key manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Hungary, and the strategies in place to address market volatility? Thank you.

Thank you for your question today. The question regarding tariffs will be addressed by IR and the second one regarding LG Magna will be addressed by VS. I would like to answer your question on the tariff and one-time gains. With respect to the portions of the previous US tariff policy that were ruled unlawful by the US Supreme Court,

We proceeded with the refund process for tariffs previously paid in accordance with guidance provided by the U.S. government. As the refund process progressed smoothly, LG Electronics received the full amount eligible for refund during the second quarter. Including the tariff refund, the overall earnings impact from one-time gains recognized in the second quarter net of one-time expenses was approximately 300 billion KRW.

We are worried that the uncertainty caused by the half-year issue will continue for the time being. While we remain concerned that uncertainty related to tariff issues may continue for some time, we will continue to pursue structural improvements aimed at minimizing

business volatility arising from such external factors through measures such as supply chain optimization leveraging or and leveraging our global production network and flexible pricing policies.

Yes, I will answer the question related to LG Magna from the VSC headquarters. The company has been actively fundraising for Europe, Asia, and domestic major OEMs away from the existing North American-centered sales structure. Let me answer your question on LG Magna.

We have been actively diversifying our revenue base beyond North America through active order-winning efforts with leading OEMs in Europe, Asia, and Korea, building on last year's momentum. We secured meaningful multiple EV powertrain projects from leading European and Asian OEMs in the first half of this year. We are also pursuing additional orders and higher-value product segments in the second half, further diversifying our regional exposure and supporting sustainable growth.

In terms of global production point of view, the Mexican factory has entered the stage of production stabilization after a continuous ramp-up since September, 23, and has maintained more than 40% of its overall sales, and the number of business performance improvements has also been steadily increasing. The Hungarian factory is preparing to mass-produce in January, 27, as a key point to respond to European OEMs' demand for value chains.

As for our global production footprint, the Mexico plant has achieved stable operations following its ramp-up since opening in September 2023. It now contributes more than 40% of total sales, with its impact on overall business performance continuing to grow. The Hungary plant is a key hub supporting European OEMs' localization efforts. and is progressing its plan toward mass production in January 2027. We are also securing new orders through our Eastern European footprint to ensure strong utilization from the outset.

In addition, in recent short-term demand changes, such as housing prices, we have considered various external variables such as eco-friendly subsidies, end-of-year promotions, etc., and closely monitored the status of regional and trade lines, To address recent demand volatility, including the impact of higher oil prices, we are closely monitoring regional and customer-specific trends while considering various external factors such as

Next question, please.

The following question will be presented by Sanyin Ko from Uanta Securities. Please go ahead with your question.

First of all, in the case of the ES headquarters, as you know, the market expectation for the AI data center cooling business is very high. In such a situation, it seems that the main target for our cooling solution business is currently limited to the North American region, and the first question is to ask additional questions related to the region. The second question is from the MS headquarters. Elec S & Gdr 144A

Thank you for taking my questions. I also have two questions, one for ES and the other for MS. For ES, I know that there are high expectations for the AI data centers. So for these data centers, which regions are your primary targets for the data center cooling business, and what progress are you making in securing customers? I know that you are specifically focused in North America, but do you have any other areas in mind?

And about the MS question, I believe that the MS company delivered a significant year-over-year improvement in performance by recording an operating profit in the first half of this year. Could you please explain the key factors behind this improvement? In addition, please share your outlook for profit and loss in the second half and full year 2026, as well as whether this profitability trend is sustainable over the mid to long term.

Thank you for your question. As you have designated your question for the respective divisions and the companies, I think those respective leaders or the heads could answer the question.

Elec S & Gdr 144A Let me answer your question.

We see North America as the primary strategic market for our AI data center cooling business. As AI infrastructure investments accelerate, annual new data center IT capacity is expected to expand from 25 gigawatts in 2026 70GW by 2031, and more than 60% of this capacity is projected to be deployed in North America. AI infrastructure investment is being driven primarily by big tech companies.

Accordingly, in North America, we will expand our customer base, focusing on hyper-scalers, collocation entrepreneurs, and major channel partners, and expand our solution, including liquid cooling components and solutions, Elec S & Gdr 144A Elec S & Gdr 144A

Elec S & Gdr 144A Accordingly, we are expanding our customer reach across hyperscalers, collocation providers, and key channel partners while growing project wins through our integrated cooling solutions portfolio that includes chillers, liquid cooling components, and related solutions. In Asia, where demand is growing rapidly, we are expanding our customer base by leveraging our proven track record in one LG AI data center project. We are also enhancing our supply competitiveness through our production facilities in Korea and China. Leveraging these capabilities, we are expanding our presence in Asia by targeting AI data center projects from global big tech customers and regional collocation providers.

Elec S & Gdr 144A We will continue to expand strategic partnerships with key customers in North America

while broadening our customer base in Asia through our one LG track record and manufacturing capabilities. This will further enhance our competitiveness in the global AI data center cooling market. Through these efforts, we are targeting several trillion won in new orders this year. Over the mid to long term, we will accelerate order and revenue growth by securing customer certifications, expanding our presence in global supply chains, and scaling up production capacity, including through a build-up of overseas manufacturing operations. Thank you.

The second question is from the MS headquarters. In the first half of the MS headquarters, we expanded the premium product volume and improved the evaluation operation, especially in the US region. Let me answer your second question on MS.

In the first half of the year, operating profit improved significantly year-over-year, driven by a higher proportion of premium products, enhanced pricing management, and improved performance from overseas operations, particularly in North America. In addition, we achieved a mid-single-digit operating margin through continued cost reduction initiatives and disciplined management of fixed expenses.

In the second half of the year, there is an increase in the price of raw materials such as memory parts due to the change in the market economy due to the long period of the mid-money war. It is expected that the price of raw materials will increase and the price of raw materials will increase. So, the company has further refined the evaluation operation, obtained some strategy data, and optimized the specifications. Elec S & Gdr 144A

In the second half of the year, macroeconomic volatility is expected to increase amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, while rising raw material costs, including memory components, are likely to add to cost pressures. To mitigate these impacts, LG Electronics will focus on refining our pricing strategy, securing strategic inventory, and optimizing specifications to minimize the effects of rising memory prices while continuing our cost-efficiency initiatives. Based on these efforts, we expect a significant year-over-year improvement in P&L and a meaningful level of full-year operating profit.

In the medium-term, the company is working on a strategy to improve its profitability in the short-term and increase its growth potential in the medium-term. In terms of profitability improvement, Elec S & Gdr 144A Over the mid to long term, we are pursuing a strategy built on two pillars, enhancing short-term profitability and securing future growth drivers.

To strengthen profitability, we're continuously improving cost competitiveness and operational efficiency to reinforce the fundamentals of our business structure. To secure future growth drivers, we will strengthen our premium leadership through differentiated product lineups and investments in R&D for key future technologies. At the same time, We aim to accelerate the growth of the webOS platform business through global partnerships and the expansion of an AI and data-driven ecosystem. Through these efforts, we intend to maintain a stable profitability trend even in a highly volatile market environment. Next question, please.

Currently, there are no participants with questions. Please press star 1, star and 1 to give your question.

If there's no further questions, we will conclude our second quarter earnings conference call here. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our IR team and we'll be happy to assist you. Thank you for your participation today.