While another co-CEO Kwon Oh-hyun, the chip division chief who will control the company’s new car parts team, is unlikely to join the event, the team leader and senior vice president Park Jong-hwan will seek ties with global carmakers.

CEOs of other key affiliates such as Samsung Display, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics are also expected to attend the annual event.

“Cars are expected to take the center stage at this year’s CES. Samsung executives would not like to miss the crucial opportunity to appeal to carmakers,” said an industry source, declining to be named.

Keen attention is being paid to vice chairman Lee Jae-yong’s attendance. He has skipped the show over the past two years as he has served the role of Samsung Group’s de facto leader since his father, chairman Lee Kun-hee was hospitalized last year.

A Samsung official declined to confirm junior Lee’s schedule.

With the long absence of tech giants such as Apple and Google -– who hold their separate launching events -- Samsung is one of the biggest exhibitors at CES that kicks off Jan. 6 and continues through Jan. 9.

Carmakers have also increased their presence. This year their combined exhibition space would reach the largest-ever 18,581 square meters, up 20 percent from last year.

A total of nine carmakers, including Audi, BMW, GM and Hyundai Motor, will participate in the show. Of this year’s seven keynote speakers, two are automotive CEOs -- Volkswagen’s Herber Diess and General Motors’ Mary Barra.

LG Electronics, which has poured resources into the car parts business for almost a decade, will use CES as an opportunity to further extend its ties with carmakers. The company is a leading player especially in telematics that combines wireless telecommunications and global positioning systems technologies.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)