Kim Sung-whan, minister of climate, energy and environment, visited Samsung's showhouse in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, and LG's Smart Cottage Village in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province.
The trip was tied to K-GX, a 10-year green transition plan unveiled last week with about 1,000 trillion won ($748.6 billion) in fiscal spending and policy finance.
Samsung's AI Modular Home, launched in June with wooden modular builder Gonggan Jejakso, links heat pumps, solar panels and an energy storage system through the company's SmartThings platform.
Residents can track solar output and household power use in real time.
Samsung also demonstrated technology behind its EHS all-in-one heat pump, due out in Korea, which handles cooling, floor heating and hot water from a single outdoor unit.
The company said it plans to expand the business at home, pointing to a 1,500 home estate in Cornwall, England, built around its systems.
LG walked Kim through its Smart Cottage, which ties heat pump-based heating and cooling, AI appliances and connected devices to the company's ThinQ ON AI hub. Solar panels are offered as an option.
LG says its method cuts construction time by at least half compared with reinforced concrete.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimates modular construction costs about 30 percent more than conventional building, but it plans to order 20,000 modular public homes from 2027 to 2030.
AJP Takeaways
- Climate Minister Kim Sung-whan visited Samsung Electronics' AI Modular Home in Hwaseong and LG Electronics' Smart Cottage Village in Jincheon on Oct. 14, 2026, to look at how the homes could fit the government's K-GX green transition strategy.
- Both companies' modular homes combine heat pumps, solar power and AI-based energy management. LG's 72.9-square-meter MONO Core 72 lists at 199.5 million won before land and permits.
- The Land Ministry estimates modular homes cost about 30 percent more to build than conventional housing, and it plans to order 20,000 modular public homes from 2027 to 2030.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
