The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy decided to actively help Samsung Display and LG Display to develop core future display technologies. The government, LGD and SDC will jointly invest 30 billion won ($30 million USD) over five years to develop technologies to improve OLED displays and technologies that will enable the commercialization of flexible displays, and finally technologies for foldable and transparent displays.
This project will also involve Korean research institutes and several small and medium-sized companies. The Korean government is worried that competitors (mainly from China) will grow their display market share and Korean industry will suffer. Cooperation between SDC and LGD over next-gen displays is seen as a the only way to make sure Korea stays the world's No. 1 display maker.
According to the Korean government, Korean companies hold 45.2% of the global display market, followed by Taiwan (27%), Japan (16%) and China (11%). The Chinese display industry is growing rapidly: in 2009 their global market share was 2%.
In 2012, LG Display was awarded a project by the Korean government to develop 60" UHD flexible and transparent panels by 2017. Earlier today LGD announced it has developed 18" flexible OLEDs and 18" transparent OLEDs.
