This article is by Lee Ga-ram and read by an artificial voice.

Samsung Display and LG Display put Korea's edge in OLED technology on full display at the K-Display 2025 exhibition, underscoring their lead in next-generation screens as Chinese rivals close in.

OLED Takes Center Stage

The three-day event opened Thursday at Coex in Seoul's Gangnam District, hosting 143 display companies from Korea and abroad. Samsung Display introduced ultra-fine OLEDoS (OLED on silicon) for extended reality headsets, achieving pixel sizes in the tens of micrometers. It also showed its first micro-LED smartwatch display, boasting 6,000 nits of brightness - 50 percent higher than before.

Samsung Display unveiled advanced display technologies for next-generation devices, including ultra-fine organic light-emitting diode on silicon (OLEDoS) for extended reality (XR) devices. OLEDoS is an ultra-high-definition display created by depositing organic materials on a silicon wafer, achieving pixel sizes in the tens of micrometers. Samsung also showcased its first micro-LED smartwatch display with a brightness of 6,000 nits - 50 percent brighter than previous models - where one nit equals the brightness of a single candle.

The company also emphasized its leadership in the small- and mid-sized OLED market with smartphones, monitors and tablets featuring its LEAD polarizer-free OLED technology and Montflex foldable OLED brand. In one attention-grabbing booth demonstration, a foldable phone was repeatedly opened and closed inside a freezer at minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) alongside an ice cream display.

LG Display put automotive displays and large OLEDs front and center. A car mock-up in its booth featured the world's largest 57-inch curved automotive display and a 32.6-inch roll-down OLED from the ceiling. Another highlight was interior trim designed to look like wooden panels, which displayed various information using plastic OLED (Poled) technology.

LG Display also set up an "OLED Heritage" zone to showcase its milestones since beginning OLED development in 1998. It displayed the industry's first large OLED panel, as well as its latest fourth-generation large OLED panel using "Primary RGB Tandem" technology. The company also unveiled the world's fastest OLED monitor panel, with a refresh rate of up to 720 hertz (HD).

However, Korea's display industry faces growing pressure from China, whose share in OLED for smartphones, monitors, tablets and automotive applications has surged into double digits over the past two to three years.

Domestic material, parts and equipment suppliers expressed particular concern, as China's display sector grows and demand from Korean clients shrinks - while exports to China also become more difficult.

"BOE is reportedly requiring that more than half its production lines be localized," said Kim Joon-bum, director at Human & Science Hightech. "Their technology still lags, but with massive government backing, there is concern they could catch up within five years."

"We used to supply to China, but local firms have internalized the technology and equipment, cutting us off entirely," said a representative from a Korean laser cutting equipment maker. "As they dominate the domestic Chinese market, Korean suppliers are losing access to what was once a huge market."

Korean companies are also cooperating to fend off China. LG Display recently transferred dozens of LCD-related patents to Samsung Display.

"Large LCDs are a field both companies have exited, so they can collaborate like a 'Korea One Team' rather than compete," said an industry insider. "LG can clear out unused patents, while Samsung can acquire ones it needs - a win-win strategy."

"Chinese manufacturers like BOE are producing IPS-based TV LCD panels, a technology in which LG holds the original patents," said Moon Dae-gyu, professor of display and advanced materials engineering at Soonchunhyang University. "LCD-related patents could become a strate...