Press Release

■ 100% organically grown in the Tiantai Mountains in Zhejiang Province (China), a world-renowned green tea-producing center

■ Refreshing aftertaste with no bitterness – allows one to enjoy green tea’s original taste

▣ LG Household & Health has launched the finest premium green tea brand, called “Lu:”. The tea leaves used in the products are cultivated entirely in Zhejiang Province, China, the center of green tea cultivation.

▣ The origin of Lu: is the green tea fields located in the upper reaches of the Tiantai Mountains, 800 meters above sea level. The area is shrouded in cloud and fog all year round, and is therefore naturally shielded from sunlight. Lu: is ongno tea (tea grown without being exposed to direct sunlight) cultivated in a heaven-blessed natural environment. It tastes sweet and has less bitterness.

▣ This area is the world’s largest green tea-producing center. It is famous for its natural environment, which features high altitudes and cloud and fog, for its vast expanse of green tea fields that enable mass production, and for the 100% organic farming used there, certified by the International Federation of Organic Farming Movement (IFOAM).

▣ In search of the finest quality green tea for the premium market, LG H&H compared a number of production sites, including Taiwan and Japan as well as Korea. LG H&H finally chose Zhejiang Province and secured 550,000 pyeong of green tea fields as a source for the finest quality green tea leaves.

▣ A stable supply of raw materials is assured as these green tea fields are invested in 100% by Koreans. For rigorous quality control of tea cultivation, Koreans are based onsite throughout the year.

▣ The brand name “Lu:” was borrowed from Chinese character 綠, which means green tea in Chinese, to stress that the tea leaves used in the products are grown in China, the reputable origin of tea.

▣ Green tea leaves are classified into four types depending on when they were picked: ujeon, sejak, unjak and seonjak. Products are available in three formats to satisfy the tastes of tea-lovers: tea leaves, tea bags and powder.

▣ Ujeon tea leaves: 70 g, 60,000 won; Sejak tea leaves: 70 g, 40,000 won; Unjak: 25 tea bags, 10,000 won

▣ For more information, call: 080-023-7007

< Glossary >

▣ Pure green tea: Premium green tea made exclusively of green tea leaves. This is in contrast to low-end green tea that is blended with brown rice. In brown rice-blended green tea, the rice masks the bitter taste and aroma of low-grade green tea leaves and lowers the price to make it more affordable for consumers.

▣ Ongno tea: Tea plants are shielded to block sunlight. They have high levels of moisture and amino acids and taste smoother, while the level of catechin, which is the source of tea’s bitter taste, is reduced. As a polyphenol with antioxidation effects, catechin is good for our bodies, but its bitter taste is a drawback. Ongno tea offers premium flavor by controlling the level of catechin.

▣ IFOAM: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

Founded in 1972, IFOAM is headquartered in Germany and has about 110 member nations. Every two year, IFOAM holds a world congress to promote the development of organic farming. Together with certifying agencies in 29 nations worldwide, it rigorously assesses organically grown products.

▣ Ujeon, sejak, jungjak, daejak: Green tea is graded differently according to when the tea leaves are picked. Young tea leaves picked before gogu (April 20) are called ujeon, the highest grade; tea leaves picked around gogu are sejak; tea leaves picked later are graded jungjak and daejak. Unjak and seonjak are sub-brands of Lu: that represent jungjak and daejak.