[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said it would spend 30-50 percent more on-year for research and development into key components of washing machines and air conditioners to maintain its competitiveness in the home appliance market. “The motor and compressor plays a vital role in our home appliance business, so we will invest accordingly,” said Park Jung-hyun, vice president of LG’s compressor and motor business unit at a press meeting in South Gyeongsang Province last week. LG Electronics employees

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics will supply telematics systems that support wireless Internet in cars to Japan’s Toyota Motor, according to news reports on July 22. The company’s vehicle component business division has recently signed a deal with the Japanese auto giant to produce telematics systems to be equipped in Toyota vehicles sold in Japan and North America. LG ElectronicsLG is No. 1 player in the global telematics market with some 30 percent market share. The company will supply 11 key par

[THE INVESTOR] LG Chem, the chemicals and battery-making unit of LG Group, said on July 21 it has decided to acquire the adhesive film business from LG Hausys, a sister firm specialized in construction materials. The purchase price is 80.5 billion won (US$70.70 million) and the final deal will be signed on Aug. 31. LG Chem currently produces some adhesive products that are used to stick polarizers to display panels. With the latest deal, the company said it aims to diversify its business areas i

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics, which has struggled to elevate its smartphone sales for years, is said to have recently jumped into developing foldable display possibly to adopt it for its future mobile devices. The Electronic Times reported on July 21 that LG Display, the Korean tech giant’s sister display-making unit, has started its own foldable display development following last year’s setting up of a related task force team. LG Display’s foldable display technologyCiting unnamed sources, the

[THE INVESTOR] LG Group’s two key affiliates LG Electronics and LG Display released their sustainability reports on July 21.In the latest annual reports, the companies provide the details of their current business operations, on-going and future efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses, and corporate social responsibility activities.LG Electronics said in its press release that the number of executives and employees participating in CSR activities increased from 27,888 in 2005 to 93,659 in 2015 and r

[THE INVESTOR] LG Chem, the battery and chemicals unit of LG Group, said on July 21 its net profit soared 9.3 percent in the second quarter largely due to improved petrochemicals margins on falling oil prices. Net income came in at 386 billion won (US$338 million) on a consolidated basis in the April-June period, compared with a profit of 353 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.Operating income advanced 9.3 percent on-year to reach 616 billion won, while sales gai

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean tech giant LG Electronics has recently completed the relocation of its European headquarters from London to Germany’s Eschborn, an official from the tech firm said. “LG has already completed the relocation process of the European head office to Germany,” Cho Joong-kwon, an LG Electronics spokesperson, said, denying recent news reports that the company is moving its Europe headquarters out of London in the wake of "Brexit."“Related discussions were underway before the

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics, which is making a big push on automotive parts business, is forecast to increase the sales to about 4 trillion won (US$3.5 billion) in the next two years, according to analyst estimates on July 20. The company’s auto parts business division is expected to post more than 600 billion won in sales in the second quarter. Last year’s sales reached 1.8 trillion won. A see-through image of GM’s upcoming full-electric Bolt. LG Electronics will supply 11 key parts, includin

[THE INVESTOR] LG Display, the display-making unit of LG Group, has almost doubled production of its 65-inch organic light-emitting diode panels in the second quarter as more TV manufacturers are adopting the larger OLED display. According to UBI Research, a local research firm specialized in OLED, the company shipped a combined140,000 OLED panels in the April-June period. Of them, the 65-inch panel made up 28,000 units, doubling from some 14,000 units in the first quarter. The increased shipmen

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics on July 19 unveiled a new 77-inch organic light-emitting diode TV with a hefty price tag of 40 million won (US$35,000), the latest model of its ultra-premium Signature brand that was launched in March. LG said it plans to launch the newest TV in phases in other markets such as North America, Europe and Asia with aims to strengthen its leadership in the premium TV market. LG Electronics' new 77-inch organic light-emitting diode TV / LG ElectronicsThe highest-priced O

[THE INVESTOR] LG Display has added a new customer for its organic light-emitting diode display -- German-based TV manufacturer Metz TV.Metz -- owned by Chinese TV maker Skyworth -- will reportedly become LG’s 10th client for OLED panels. The German firm recently said that it would roll out an ultra-high definition OLED TV in September 2016, supporting high-dynamic-range -- a video solution for improving brightness and contrast levels. LG Display’s OLED display. LG DisplayThe Korean display firm

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics has emerged as a serious competitor in the all-important US smartphone market where Samsung Electronics and Apple are still dominant players. According to the latest sales data from Kantar Worldpanel, Samsung and Apple are still the most favored smartphone brands in the US, having captured capturing 37 percent and 29 percent of total sales, respectively, in the three-month period ending in May. LG’s latest flagship G5During the same period, LG’s market share soared