Jeong Chul-dong, president of LG Display, said the company remained in the black in the second quarter of this year if one-off expense from workforce optimization is excluded. He projected that the second half, which enters a seasonal peak, could deliver better results than the first half.
On the 22nd, after finishing a booth tour at the Korea Display Industry Exhibition (K-Display 2026), which opened at Coex in Gangnam District, Seoul, Jeong told reporters, "You may have been disappointed by the second-quarter results, but that was because one-off expense was reflected," adding, "Excluding that, we were actually profitable."
When asked about the outlook, Jeong said, "Given the nature of the display industry, I think the second half will be better than the first half. I cannot provide specific numbers, but we will do our best to deliver better results."
LG Display announced that on a consolidation basis in the second quarter of this year, it posted revenue of 5.6121 trillion won and an operating loss of 107.7 billion won. Cumulative first-half revenue was 11.1461 trillion won, with operating profit of 39 billion won. Compared with an operating loss of 82.6 billion won in the first half of last year, the bottom line improved by 121.6 billion won.
One-off expense from workforce optimization was reflected in the second-quarter results. On the possibility of additional expense, Jeong said, "It is hard to answer precisely," but added, "My hope is that there will be no additional expense."
On the burden of production costs for finished goods makers due to rising memory chip prices and pressure to cut panel prices, Jeong said, "We are being affected," but added, "It is at a level we can endure because we are improving costs."
In the second half, LG Display plans to push cost innovation based on technology that goes beyond simple expense cuts to change materials, methods, and processes. It will apply an artificial intelligence transformation (AX) from development through manufacturing and production to improve efficiency and will advance its business structure centered on OLED. Jeong said, "We have resources available, so within that scope we will continue to invest."
Tandem OLED will expand its applications beyond TVs and information technology (IT) devices to smartphones. Jeong said, "Tandem is an excellent technology in terms of lifespan, among other things," adding, "We are preparing to extend it beyond TVs and IT into smartphones."
Tandem OLED is a technology that stacks two or more emissive layers in a single panel. It can deliver the same brightness with less power, improving both lifespan and power efficiency. LG Display has applied the tandem structure to large OLED TVs and to in-vehicle, tablet, and laptop IT products.
It is maintaining a cautious stance on entering the 8.6-generation IT OLED market. Unlike Samsung Display, LG Display has not yet invested in 8.6-generation production facilities. The view is that existing 6th-generation lines can sufficiently meet current IT OLED demand.
Regarding this, Jeong said, "We are reviewing various technologies and continuously assessing business viability," adding, "We are looking at fine metal mask (FMM) technology and others, so when the business becomes visible, we will have a chance to share more." FMM is a thin metal plate used to deposit OLED organic materials onto targeted pixel locations.
Next-generation OLED manufacturing technology is also in preparation. Jeong said, "We are preparing various technologies related to OLED," adding, "We are also preparing a technology we internally call 'flip,' and when the time comes that we can disclose it, we will let you know."
Jeong concluded, "LG Display is working to deliver differentiated value to customers based on top-tier technology," adding, "Differentiating with the technologies customers want is the key growth engine going forward." He added, "All our members will join forces to focus on technology and deliver value to customers."