Recently, according to South Korean media reports, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics saw a significant increase in their purchases of TV LCD panels in the first half of this year. However, the rise in LCD panel prices has led to a decline in profits for Samsung and LG.

The reason for the current increase in LCD panel prices is that market demand is still centered around LCD TVs. Thanks to major sports events such as the Olympics and the European Championship, the demand for LCD TVs in the market has increased, and panel suppliers have steadily increased their prices since the beginning of the year. According to market research firm DSCC, the price of the most in demand 55 inch LCD TV panel skyrocketed from $122 in January to $132 in May. This growth has had a significant impact on companies such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

According to the electronic disclosure system of the South Korean Financial Supervisory Agency, the display panel prices of Samsung Electronics' TVs and monitors increased by 12% in the first half of this year, and it paid 3.831 trillion Korean won to China's TCL Huaxing Optoelectronics and Japan's SDP. The panel procurement cost of the DX (Device Experience) department during this period was 3.831 trillion Korean won (approximately 2.837 billion US dollars), an increase of 96.3% compared to 1.9521 trillion Korean won in the same period last year. Similarly, LG Electronics' average price of LCD TV modules in the first half of this year increased by 13.4% compared to the same period last year. LG's component procurement increased by 29.5%, from KRW 1.4219 trillion to KRW 1.8418 trillion.

According to reports, despite the increase in panel prices, Samsung Electronics still maintains the average selling price of its TVs at a level similar to last year, while LG Electronics has only increased by 1.3% compared to last year. Samsung Electronics stated in its second quarter financial report that "due to rising panel prices and intensified competition leading to increased costs, the profitability of its TV business has declined." LG Electronics also explained that "although profits have improved due to increased sales, the rise in LCD panel prices has resulted in a slight decrease in profits compared to the same period last year

Chinese companies are leading the price increase. Due to the significant reduction in the proportion of LCD panel business by domestic companies in South Korea, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics can only purchase most of their LCD panels from Chinese panel manufacturers such as BOE and TCL Huaxing Optoelectronics. As of last year, Chinese companies had a global LCD market share of 60.8%, more than six times that of South Korea (10.1%).

Chinese LCD panel companies, through cooperation and mergers with domestic enterprises, supply panels at prices lower than foreign companies, allowing Chinese TV companies to produce LCD TVs relatively cheaply. Huaxing Optoelectronics, which has decided to take over LG Display's Guangzhou factory, is a subsidiary of TV manufacturer TCL. BOE is collaborating with companies such as Hisense to develop products such as 98 inch televisions.

Therefore, the industry is concerned that if LCD panel prices continue to rise, the profitability of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will deteriorate. This is because the proportion of LCD TVs in both companies is still relatively high, and it will take some time for the demand for alternative OLED TVs to increase. As LG Display decided to sell its Guangzhou factory, which can produce 300000 LCD panels per month, it was pointed out that Yoda Optoelectronics in Taiwan, China, China, as an alternative, was also reducing the output of LCD panels due to the deterioration of profitability, and procurement within the Korean supply chain would become difficult. Therefore, there are voices in the industry calling for the restructuring of the supply chain, such as signing long-term supply contracts and diversifying business partners.

According to industry insiders, LCD TVs account for 80-90% of the entire TV market. Business Research Insights, a market research company, analyzed that "the demand for high-end large-sized LCD TVs that provide immersive viewing experiences such as 8K LCD TVs has not decreased." Another industry insider said, "Contrary to the expected transition to OLED TVs in the television industry, the demand for LCD TVs has not decreased. Currently, Chinese companies are adjusting LCD panel prices by reducing operating rates to maintain profitability