"'Sound-Emitting OLED' Standardization... Leading the Global Market"

Establishment of National Standard (KS) for 'Display Speaker' and Promotion of International Standard Leadership

Lee Seung-woo, Director of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 13th that it has completed the establishment of national standards (KS) for display speakers and is currently promoting international standardization.

Regarding the national standards, two methods for measuring the acoustic performance of display speakers applied to TVs and smartphones will be officially announced on the 14th.

Additionally, on the 27th of last month, a new proposal (NP) for TV display speakers was adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), an international standardization organization.

An official from the National Institute of Technology and Standards stated, "We plan to further solidify South Korea's OLED status, which recorded about 90% of the global market share last year," adding, "We expect this to increase exports in the display industry and have a positive impact on the related domestic industrial ecosystem."

Display speakers are called 'sound-emitting OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode Display).' This technology allows the display itself to act as a diaphragm and produce sound directly through vibration.

When applied to TVs, it enables immersive sound without external speakers, providing a sense of presence where visual and auditory senses are synchronized. When applied to smartphones, it allows for innovative designs without speaker holes and improves call quality.

To realize acoustic performance suitable for commercialization, a thin screen is essential, making it applicable to OLED displays with a single-layer structure.

Korean companies plan to develop display speaker products for TVs and smartphones and use them as a strategy to maintain leadership in the global OLED market.

LG Display has been steadily expanding its global market since showcasing TV display speakers at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2017. Samsung Display has completed the development of display speakers for smartphones.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards has been supporting commercialization by promoting display speaker technology standard development projects since last year.

The Korea Testing Laboratory, a standard development cooperation organization (COSD), led the project, with participation from LG and Samsung Display to develop the standard draft, which was established as a national standard this year.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards participates in the IEC Technical Committee (TC100) to ensure the completion of international standards and fosters cooperation among member countries. Generally, the entire international standardization process takes 3 to 4 years, and active support is being provided.

Lee Seung-woo, head of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, said, "This display speaker standardization will be a representative case where standards are utilized to expand our companies' presence in the global market."

He emphasized, "We will continue to collaborate with domestic companies to develop influential standards in the market and spare no effort to support the diffusion of technology-applied products and services worldwide."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.