"We have world No. 1 technology in both organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and liquid crystal display (LCD), giving customers a wide range of choices depending on demand. We plan to advance technology in both LCD and OLED. We will also continue 'cost innovation' through technology to improve profitability."
Jeong Chul-dong, president of LG Display, said this to reporters on Jan. 7 (local time) at the site of CES 2026, the world's largest IT exhibition, in Las Vegas. LG Display ended a three-year streak of losses last year that began in 2022, achieving a "turnaround in results." Jeong said, "Our biggest goal is to create a better business environment this year than last year," adding, "We will build a 'sustainable revenue structure' and 'an overwhelming technology gap.'" He said the aim is "not merely to return to the black, but to build the resilience to remain steady in any market environment."
Jeong, on last year's improved results, said, "It was the outcome of more than two years of efforts on multiple fronts, including cost reductions," and added, "From this year to next year, it is a time when we must think hard not about plans for short-term revenue, but about building a stable, sustainable revenue structure in the long term." He continued, "In the end, I believe overwhelming technological prowess is the answer," adding, "In a situation where China is catching up, we cannot get ahead if our technological differentiation is not clear."
As ways to strengthen internal capabilities, Jeong cited integrating technologies such as AI transformation (AX) and virtual design (VD). Jeong said, "Introducing AX and VD is a catalyst that will dramatically accelerate innovation from research and development (R&D) to production and cost reduction," adding, "This year, we will further spread an AX culture across all areas, including production and quality."
LG Display designated last year as the 'first year of AX' and introduced in-house developed AI across all areas of its business. The company said that in OLED, where processes are highly complex, it achieved more than 200 billion won in annual expense reduction through an AI-based production system. It is also actively introducing VD to cut the expense and time required to identify ways to improve new product development and production efficiency in a virtual test environment, while improving accuracy to raise quality.
Jeong warned against "simple technology supremacism" that could emerge in the process and stressed customer-centric thinking. Jeong said, "Customers demand both differentiated technology and cost competitiveness," adding, "We need to secure competitiveness that is not innovation out of sync with market demand, but that is leading and delivers business benefits." He added, "LG Display's competitiveness becomes our customers' competitiveness, and customers must be competitive to win consumer choice and survive," and "We will steadily drive profitability based on a reinforced business constitution and continued cost innovation efforts."
On entering the 8.6-generation information technology (IT) OLED panel market, where competing display makers are moving to establish mass production, Jeong emphasized "strategic flexibility." Jeong said, "The pace of conversion from LCD to OLED differs by product, such as tablets, laptops, and monitors," adding, "The (8.6-generation IT OLED) market is not yet large enough in economic scale, and at the current level, we can respond with the existing 6th-generation infrastructure." He continued, "If we invest, economic feasibility must be confirmed, and judging by the current mix of customers and products, it's not yet the timing to generate revenue with 8.6-generation," while adding, "LG Display is also preparing for the potential expansion of the market."
8.6-generation IT OLED refers to a process of producing panels for devices such as laptops, tablets, and monitors on large glass mother sheets. In the industry, the size of the glass substrate processed at one time in a factory is classified by generation. 8.6-generation generally means a mother sheet of about 2,290 mm × 2,620 mm.
LG Display unveiled OLED for Humanoid Robot use for the first time at this year's CES. Jeong said, "The Humanoid Robot area has aspects similar to automotive specifications," adding, "LG Display's in-vehicle displays are highly reliable, and with flexible plastic OLED, we can sufficiently address curved surfaces and more."
Asked what technology at the CES 2026 exhibition left the biggest impression, Jeong said, "I was able to see physical AI evolve to the point of mimicking human movements," adding, "We plan to review how current levels of robotics technology can be applied to and utilized in our display production processes." On competition with Chinese display corporations, Jeong said, "We were able to confirm it is intensifying," and added, "From a technology perspective, I felt we need to prepare more and think harder."