Chairman Choi Byungo of Hyungji Discusses Cooperation with China's CATL... Momentum for New Robot Business

Discussing Collaboration with CATL on Robots and Battery Technology
"Aiming to Foster the Korea-China Senior Wearable Market"

Fashion Group Hyungji announced on January 7 that it discussed cooperation on the "smart wearable robot business" with Chinese high-tech companies during its economic delegation schedule in China.

Choi Byung-o, Chairman of Fashion Group Hyungji, was the only representative from a fashion and wearable robot company to attend a meeting hosted by President Lee Jaemyung and Vice Premier He Lifeng during the economic delegation’s visit to China, which took place at Zuoer University in Beijing on January 5. He also attended the state banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

Chairman Choi Byung-o of Fashion Group Hongji is standing shoulder to shoulder with Zheng Weiqin, Chairman of CATL (left), and Li Dongsong, Chairman of TCL Technology Group (right), at the Korea-China Business Forum during the economic delegation schedule in China. Provided by Fashion Group Hongji

During the event, Chairman Choi met with Zheng Weiqin, Chairman of CATL, a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, and Li Dongsong, Chairman of TCL Technology Group, a leading manufacturer of TVs, home appliances, and displays, to discuss the business direction of the wearable robot sector.

With CATL, discussions focused on battery technology, which is a core component of wearable robots. According to Hyungji, CATL expressed strong interest in Hyungji Elite’s workwear and wearable robot business, indicating the potential for future collaboration.

TCL Technology Group has recently been strengthening its presence in the service robot sector, including the launch of home AI robots.

Through this economic delegation exchange, Hyungji plans to accelerate the development of "smart clothing" focused on assistive functions to support the activities of the elderly. The company aims to foster the senior wearable market and lead the smart clothing market that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, thereby addressing the common challenge of aging faced by both Korea and China.

A representative from Fashion Group Hyungji stated, "This visit to China was significant not only for expanding our network, but also for identifying practical cooperation opportunities for the commercialization of wearable robots with CATL and TCL Technology Group, which possess world-class technological capabilities. We will continue to build concrete business models that combine Hyungji’s ergonomic clothing design technology with next-generation battery solutions and smart terminal infrastructure, which are key to robot operation."