LS Electric Chairman Koo Ja-kyun

Speaks at 2026 CIRED Workshop in Seoul

Calls for DC-AC integration to deliver tailored power infrastructure

LS Electric Chairman Koo Ja-kyun. [LS Electric]
LS Electric Chairman Koo Ja-kyun. [LS Electric]

LS Electric Chairman and CEO Koo Ja-kyun said Monday that a DC-based intelligence grid is "the definitive answer to the exploding demand for AI power."

Koo made the remarks at the 2026 International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CIRED) Workshop, held Monday at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul. "For AI data centers that consume enormous amounts of power to operate stably, they must be fully backed by a highly reliable grid," Koo said. The CIRED Workshop is a global forum for discussing future standards and the direction of the power industry, and this marked the first time the event has been held in Asia.

Koo identified DC and intelligence platforms as the two key concepts for completing the future grid ecosystem. "Moving beyond the one-way power transmission of the past, we must now deliver customer-tailored power infrastructure — for data centers and beyond — through the harmonious integration of DC and AC," Koo said.

Koo then laid out a broader vision, saying the industry must "combine data and AI with power equipment to detect anomalies early and evolve into an intelligent, bidirectional energy platform that exchanges energy flexibly." Koo added that "the next chapter for the power distribution industry is not merely delivering electricity, but leaping forward as a core platform that drives the explosive growth of global industry."

LS Electric has been demonstrating the DC paradigm with tangible business results in North America, the world's largest market. The company moved proactively into the United States as the country faced a power crunch driven by a surge in AI data centers, securing a series of orders for ultra-high-efficiency power conversion systems and data center-tailored power solutions. In July, the company launched the world's first 100 percent DC-powered distribution factory at its Cheonan plant.

An LS Electric official said the keynote address represented Koo's "official declaration to the world stage, on behalf of South Korea's power industry, that the paradigm of the future grid has fully shifted to DC."

The official went on to say that the company would "leverage overwhelming DC platform technology, underpinned by firm confidence in leading the next-generation market, to establish K-Power as a rule-maker in the global distribution market and fully drive the world's exploding demand for AI power infrastructure."


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com