LG 'Home Appliance Discounts' vs KT 'Free Galaxy'... KBO Korean Series Championship Event Kicks Off

Expectations for LG Ahead of First Championship in 29 Years
Discounts Matching MVP Jersey Number or 29% Off
Consumers Adjusting Purchase Timing

'1 Win 3 Losses' KT Also Preparing Surprise Event
K Bank Championship Products or Latest Smartphones

#. Housewife Ms. Lee (54 years old, female), who is considering purchasing a washing machine, is frequently checking the results of the Korean Series. This is because she hopes that if the LG Twins win the championship for the first time in 29 years, there will be a massive discount event.

LG and KT are gearing up for Korean Series championship events. In particular, consumer expectations are rising as the LG Twins are just one win away from the championship. Since LG is challenging for the Korean Series title for the first time in 29 years, there is anticipation that LG Electronics will hold a groundbreaking discount event. Some consumers planning to buy home appliances are even adjusting their purchase timing.

On the 15th of last month, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, LG Twins General Manager Cha Myung-seok, Captain Oh Ji-hwan, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, and CEO Kim In-seok are holding the regular season championship trophy and posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 13th, LG Group announced that it is considering holding championship events at major affiliates including LG Electronics and LG Household & Health Care if the LG Twins win.

Inside LG Group, various rumors are circulating, such as offering discounts corresponding to the jersey number of the championship MVP or a 29% discount to commemorate the first championship in 29 years. There is also talk of providing welfare points to employees, which is raising expectations.

Earlier, LG Electronics held an event in September to support the LG Twins' success. Customers who purchased home appliances were entered into a draw to win autographed glossy jumpers, uniforms, and chicken gifticons. LG Electronics also pledged that if they win the Korean Series, all customers who purchase recommended products on their website will receive membership points. Major home appliance models including OLED TVs, refrigerators, laptops, vacuum cleaners, and monitors are eligible. LG Electronics plans to provide points equivalent to 10% of the payment amount, up to a maximum of 300,000 KRW.

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo visited Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 7th to watch the first game of the 2023 KBO Korean Series between the KT Wiz and LG Twins.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Baseball fans expect a grand event to celebrate the 29-year-awaited victory, given LG Group's special affection for baseball. LG has owned the baseball team since acquiring the MBC Blue Dragons in 1990 during the Lucky-GoldStar era, with the group chairman passing down ownership through generations. The current team owner, Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, is also known as a baseball enthusiast. It is said that while receiving management training working at LG Electronics and the holding company, he often visited the stadium with employees.

An LG Electronics official said, "Although specific details have not been decided, we are considering various discounts and prize events." Since the Korean Series is not yet over, they are being cautious. The LG Twins will play the fifth game of the Korean Series against the KT Wiz at 6:30 PM at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. Since the LG Twins have not won since 1994, it is said that not many employees within LG Group have directly experienced a championship celebration event, which is causing some concern.

KT is also preparing various events in anticipation of the KT Wiz's championship. A KT official said, "We are preparing a surprise event, so it is difficult to disclose details yet," and remained tight-lipped.

Although detailed explanations were not provided, it is known that K-Bank plans to launch financial products if the team wins. It is expected to be similar to the event held during the 2021 Korean Series championship two years ago.

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The KT Wiz won their first championship in the Korean Series in 2021, eight years after their founding. At that time, K-Bank, a KT group company, launched a fixed deposit product with an annual interest rate of 2.1% and a limit of 202.1 billion KRW, which sold out within a week. Recently, due to a high-interest rate environment, savings and deposit rates are high, so a 2.1% product does not attract much attention. However, considering that in November 2021, when it was launched, fixed deposit interest rates ranged from 0.5% to 1.82%, it was a top-tier offer. It was a generous celebration of their first Korean Series championship.

They are also expected to offer a bundle of prizes. Two years ago, after winning, KT provided the latest phone, the 'Galaxy Z Fold3,' which was worth nearly 2 million KRW, as a prize for voting for the KT Wiz's best player.

Typically, when a professional baseball team wins the championship, the parent company holds large-scale discount events. Last year, Shinsegae, the parent company of the SSG Landers who won the championship, held a large-scale discount event called 'SSG Sale' involving 19 affiliates including Shinsegae Department Store, Emart24, and Shinsegae Duty Free. In particular, Emart doubled its sales compared to the week before the event. In 2020, when NC Soft's NC Dinos won their first championship since their founding, the company provided items and coupons to users of its games such as Lineage M, Aion, and Blade & Soul.