Hanjin Logistics CEO Noh Sam-sug (sixth from left), President and Chief Marketing Officer Emily Cho (fifth from left) and other company officials pose for a photo at the LA fulfillment center in the US on July 8. (Hanjin Group)

South Korean airline-to-logistics conglomerate Hanjin Group's logistics arm Hanjin Logistics Corp. said Tuesday that it has expanded operations by expanding the size of the Los Angeles fulfillment center by 50 percent.

Upon the expansion, Hanjin Logistics President and CEO Noh Sam-sug and President and Chief Marketing Officer Emily Cho conducted an on-site inspection during a five-day visit to the US earlier this month.

The aim is to provide a one-stop logistics solution so Korean companies can have a local direct delivery system, which is a prerequisite for entering the North American market.

As part of the expansion, the company introduced automated systems last year, such as pick-up robots and self-developed packing kiosks, through collaboration with warehouse robotics company Locus Robotics.

"As the volume of fulfillment in the US continues to increase, we are responding preemptively by increasing local investment," a Hanjin official said. "We will expand existing customer volume and attract new customers by establishing an efficient operation system centered on fulfillment."

In the first quarter of this year, the US subsidiary's fulfillment business volume and sales increased by 262 percent and 450 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Hanjin plans to expand its warehouse in New Jersey, its eastern base in the US, by increasing its storage capacity by 50 percent.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)