Like all business and corporations, LG—the South Korean multinational conglomerate, best known for their electronic products and household appliances—takes pride in its logo.
“Full of personality, our smiling logo signals humanity and intelligence. We always use it with confidence. It's what makes us feel uniquely LG,” the company declares on its corporate website.
The familiar ruby-red logo, featuring a playful face, has adorned televisions, refrigerators, microwave ovens, washing machines, and air conditioners for decades. According to LG, its design is inspired by an ancient artifact known as the “Smile of Silla,” which dates back to the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE–935 CE). This artifact is an ornamental roof-end tile called sumaksae, which is typically round in shape to fit the curved tiles at the edges of traditional Korean roofs or walls. While such tiles often feature lotus patterns, the smiling design is exceptionally rare—indeed, it is the only known example from the Silla period.
Smile of Silla
The Silla Kingdom occupied the southern and central regions of the Korean Peninsula. Along with Baekje and Goguryeo, it formed the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which fiercely vied for dominance over the peninsula during ancient times. Each kingdom controlled distinct territories—Goguryeo ruled the northern half of the peninsula, along with the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria, while Baekje dominated southwestern Korea.
Silla was the earliest of the three kingdoms and initially the smallest and weakest. However, it employed shrewd diplomacy to forge strategic alliances, first with its Korean rivals and later with the powerful Tang dynasty in China. In 503, the kingdom changed its name from Saro to Silla. By the early 6th century, it had annexed the Gaya confederacy, provoking an alliance between Goguryeo and Baekje to counter its growing influence. Facing mounting pressure, Silla strengthened its ties with the Tang dynasty, leveraging its newfound access to the Yellow Sea for direct contact with China. With Tang support, Silla conquered both Goguryeo and Baekje, then expelled the Tang forces from the peninsula, securing control over the lands south of Pyongyang.
Seorabeol—now the modern-day city of Gyeongju—became the capital, and Silla reached its peak from the late 7th to the late 8th century. However, internal conflicts and external threats, particularly from the rising Goryeo Kingdom, gradually weakened Silla’s monarchy. In 935 CE, the last ruler, King Gyeongsun, surrendered to Wang Geon, marking the end of Silla. The kingdom was peacefully absorbed into Goryeo, ushering in a unified Korean state under Goryeo rule.
Smile of Silla. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Examples of roof end tiles excavated from Goguryeo archaeological sites in the Han River valley. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
The roof tile known as the Smile of Silla is believed to have originated from the site of the Silla-era temple Yeongmyosa. It first gained academic attention during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945) when a Japanese doctor and collector named Tanaka Toshinobu purchased it from an antique shop in Korea in 1934. That same year, Ōsaka Kintarō, director of the Gyeongju branch of the Government-General of Chōsen Museum, wrote about the tile in a research paper. Sometime between 1935 and 1940, the collector, Tanaka, took the tile to Japan. Ōsaka remained in charge of the museum until Korea’s liberation in 1945, after which he returned to Japan.
The tile was largely forgotten in Korea until 1972, when Park Il-hun, a former student of Ōsaka and then director of the Gyeongju National Museum, visited Japan. Park persuaded his former mentor to convince Tanaka to return the artifact. By then, Ōsaka was 96 years old and reportedly saw this effort as the final achievement of his career. Tanaka, who had already returned many Korean artifacts he had collected, had been reluctant to part with this particular tile, which he had been hanging in his living room wall. Tanaka eventually agreed to return the tile to Korea.
LG Corporation
The LG Corporation traces its origins to Lak Hui Chemical Industrial Corp., founded in 1947. The name “Lak Hui” was pronounced similarly to “lucky,” which inspired Chairman In-hwoi Koo to rename the company to Lucky Chemical Co., Ltd. in 1952. Two years later, the company developed Korea’s first-ever toothpaste, Lucky Toothpaste, building on the success of its pioneering cosmetic product, Lucky Cream. In 1959, following the establishment of Lucky Oil and Fat Co., Ltd., the company expanded into full-scale production of soaps and glycerine.
While Lucky Chemical was emerging as a leader in Korea’s chemical industry, another company—Goldstar—was making its mark in electronics. Founded in 1958, Goldstar became Korea’s first electronics company, introducing ground-breaking products such as the country’s first radio, black-and-white television, refrigerator, air conditioner, and more.
A promotional campaign for Lucky toothpaste and Lucky soap. Photo credit: LG
By the late 1960s, the Lucky Group had grown into a conglomerate with 11 subsidiaries, expanding its business into high-tech industries, including petrochemicals, energy, and semiconductors. It also ventured into construction, securities, distribution, insurance, and other service sectors. As part of its continued growth, Lucky and Goldstar merged in 1983, forming “Lucky Goldstar”. The company later simplified its name to LG, and on January 1, 1995, it introduced its now-iconic logo—a round, red smiley face—along with the slogan "Life’s Good."
Today, the Smile of Silla remains a treasured symbol of Gyeongju, reflecting the artistry and craftsmanship of Korea’s ancient past. Meanwhile, LG’s emblematic logo, inspired by this legacy, is a modern expression of “world, future, youth, humanity, and technology”. It remains a recognizable symbol of quality and innovation worldwide.
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