From Laptops to Train Information Boards on TV... LGD Advances OLED Popularization

World's First Commercial Transparent OLED Technology
Included in the Prime Minister's Office Regulatory Innovation Cases
Window Advertising Allowed in Domestic Subways and More

LG Display is showcasing a transparent OLED panel for railroads that can replace train cabin windows at the Busan International Railroad Technology Industry Exhibition held at BEXCO, Busan, last June.
[Photo by LG Display]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] LG Display's flagship organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels are accelerating their technological popularization. Not only large OLED panels used in TVs but also window-type advertisements for railways, which were previously adopted only in countries like China and Japan, are now opening the way for application domestically. With strengthened domestic and international investments in OLED panels for small and medium-sized products such as mobile devices and laptops, the scope of utilization is expected to expand comprehensively.

According to the industry on the 4th, LG Display's transparent OLED was recently included in regulatory innovation cases announced by the Office for Government Policy Coordination through the Regulatory Reform Newspaper, and subway window advertisements using this product will be permitted in Korea going forward. Until now, the Outdoor Advertising Act has generally prohibited window advertisements that emit light on the exterior surfaces of transportation means, citing reasons such as obstructing the view of other vehicles or causing inconvenience in operation. Because of this, it was unclear whether window advertisements using LG Display's transparent OLED could be allowed domestically.

OLED Information Boards Previously Only in China and Japan Now Seen on Domestic Trains
"Transparent OLED Window-Type Ads Are Not Subject to Regulation" Officially Confirmed

The Office for Government Policy Coordination clarified that subway advertisements using transparent OLED displays are not subject to regulations prohibiting window advertisements that emit light on the exterior surfaces of transportation means, based on the Outdoor Advertising Act interpretation concluded by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in December last year. Accordingly, these panels can now be applied to train carriages such as subways and high-speed trains.

LG Display's transparent OLED for railways can be used like transparent glass in normal times while selectively displaying video information through electrical signals. When attached to transportation windows, it can convey information like signboards or advertisements. According to LG Display, the railway transparent OLED display is 55 inches in size and can be applied to the left and right glass windows of subway or train carriages. The product's transparency is 40%, about four times higher than the 10% level of transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, improving openness and visibility. Additionally, special tempered glass is applied to withstand shocks and vibrations better than existing panels, suitable for trains running at high speeds on tracks.

LG Display commercialized the railway transparent OLED for the first time in the world and has supplied it to subways in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen since last year. Russia and Japan are also actively promoting the introduction of this product. Transparent OLED, which emits light from pixels themselves without a backlight to maximize transmittance, is attracting great interest from mobility customers such as autonomous vehicles, aircraft, and subways, as well as various fields like smart homes and smart buildings. According to the global consulting firm 'Prescient & Strategic Intelligence,' the transparent display market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 46%, reaching $4.933 billion (approximately 5.7469 trillion KRW) by 2024.

An LG Display official emphasized, "We have all the infrastructure for transparent OLED production, so we can immediately respond to the increasing market demand."

33 Trillion KRW in Korea, 16 Trillion KRW in Vietnam
Related Investment Accelerates

LG Display announced a new facility investment plan worth 3.3 trillion KRW last month to strengthen its market dominance in OLED panels for small and medium-sized product groups such as laptops and tablet PCs. By March 2024, it plans to establish and operate a 6th generation (1500mm × 1850mm) small and medium OLED production line at its Paju plant in Gyeonggi Province.

This is interpreted as a strategic move to expand market share in the small and medium OLED market, which has high growth potential alongside the already competitive large OLED panels for TVs.

Recently, local foreign media reported that LG Display is investing $1.4 billion (approximately 1.6 trillion KRW) to expand the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) module line at its Hai Phong factory in Vietnam. The Hai Phong plant assembles OLED panels produced in Korea and China with various components into modules. Modules produced in Hai Phong are used in the production of TVs and smartphones.

With this investment, LG Display's OLED module production volume is expected to increase by 30-40%, from the current 9 to 10 million units per month to 13 to 14 million units.

An industry insider said, "LG Display has been predominantly recognized for its competitiveness in large products such as TV panels. This investment appears to be aimed at breaking that structure and expanding its domain to reorganize the leadership of the overall OLED panel market."

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