Jumping on the bandwagon of specialized household electronic goods gaining popularity in Korea, LG Electronics on Monday introduced a mini wine cellar, applying the company’s semiconductor technology for reduced noise and vibration.

LG Electronics said it is adding the product to a portfolio of home appliances for average households as it is closely watching new life trends here, including increasing consumption of wine and rising demand for clothes dryers and steamers. 

The South Korean electronics provider showcased two models of eight-bottle wine cellars, which the company called a “pragmatic size” for average households.

To reduce the size of its previous wine cellar models -- for up to 85, 71 and 43 bottles each -- the company replaced the compressors in the existing products with smaller thermoelectric modules.

The semiconductor parts absorb heat inside the cellar with no need to use refrigerants, which better helps keep the temperature at an appropriate level for wines, according to the firm.

Doing without the compressors also means no motor and less vibration and noise. Vibration triggered from the current wine cellars has been a cause of oxidizing wines at a faster pace.

“LG aims to widen the use of wine cellars by giving consumers differentiated choices,” said Park Young-il, vice president of the kitchen appliance business at the company.

As for garment steamers, LG said that its Tromm Styler is gaining popularity among young couples in their 30s.

Since its launch in 2011, the steam closet has been upgraded every year and is getting slimmer, with the intention of meeting rising demand from one-person households.

The Korean market for dryers is also expanding in accordance with a rising number of apartments with no balcony or veranda.

According to market forecasts, about 100,000 dryers were sold here last year. The figure is expected to rise to between 500,000 and 600,000 units this year.

LG first introduced a gas-powered dryer in 2004 and an electricity-run model in 2005. It now has seven dryer models, including the latest inverter heat-pump dryer, first introduced by the company here. 

“We forecast sales of dryers would reach those of washers in the near future as dryers are becoming a highly wanted item among young households,” the company official said.

Samsung Electronics also began selling its dryers in the Korean retail market last month -- after previously selling them exclusively in Europe and North America -- eyeing the rising local demand.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)