"K-Display Must Secure Micro-LED to Regain World No.1 Position"

Report from the Display Industry Association on the 26th

There is an opinion that the Korean display industry must secure the next-generation inorganic light-emitting diode (iLED) display market to regain its position as the world’s number one.

On the 26th, the Korea Display Industry Association released the "Inorganic Light-Emitting Display Industry Analysis Report."

The report forecasts that the iLED display market, including micro- and nano light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and quantum dots (QD), will fully blossom after 2030. According to market research firm Omdia’s projections, the iLED market size is expected to grow from $1 billion (approximately 1.35 trillion KRW) in 2026 to $80 billion (approximately 107.86 trillion KRW) by 2045. The compound annual growth rate is projected to be 23.4%. It is predicted to account for 40% of the total display market by 2045.

iLED uses inorganic materials as the light-emitting source. It has a longer lifespan and higher luminance (brightness) than liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which use organic materials. It is considered suitable for displays in metaverse, healthcare, smart homes, autonomous driving, and more.

The government announced plans to foster the iLED industry as a core strategy to reclaim the world’s number one position in displays by 2027 through the "Display Industry Innovation Strategy" announced last May.

Lee Yong-pil, Director of Advanced Industry Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, delivering a greeting at the Luminous Industry Promotion Alliance held on the 29th of last month in the Space Aid CBD conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Competitor countries have begun the race to secure the iLED market. According to market research firm Yole D?veloppement, global investments made until last year by China, Taiwan, the United States, and others amount to about $10 billion (approximately 13 trillion KRW). Korea currently lacks the core ecosystem, including materials, components, equipment (MCE) companies and pixel production capacity. This means it is at risk of missing the opportunity to secure the market.

Unlike OLEDs, which are made on glass substrates, iLED displays undergo wafer (semiconductor substrate) processing. The association analyzed that if Korea builds a new ecosystem based on its semiconductor and panel technology capabilities, it could change the market competition landscape. To secure competitiveness in the iLED industry, it is necessary to develop commercialization technologies through integration of unit technologies, including pixel, panel, module, materials, and equipment technologies. Risk-sharing in private investment and large-scale government support are essential.

Lee Dong-wook, vice chairman of the association, said, "With the iLED leadership battle underway and time being a critical factor for competitiveness, a delay of more than a year in investment will make it difficult to guarantee maintaining leadership in the display industry. Having commercialized OLEDs first in the world and maintained the number one position in displays for 17 years, if we receive government support as well, we can reclaim the world’s number one position based on iLED displays."

The association plans to run a five-year inorganic light-emitting display professional workforce training program from March until February 2028. Since July, it has also started a project to establish a standardization foundation for inorganic light-emitting displays, which will run for three and a half years until December 2026. The association stated, "We will continue to promote preliminary feasibility studies for iLED technology development and market leadership, engage in international cooperation for technology acquisition, and operate a large-to-small enterprise consultative body to support the establishment of a self-reliant supply chain, providing multifaceted support."

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