Korean media: South Korean OLED light-emitting materials dominate the market, but are being surpassed by China!
On October 16, the Korean media "Chosun Ilbo" published an article stating that in the first half of this year, South Korean panel manufacturers accounted for 59.9% of the total procurement volume with a purchase volume of 36.7 tons in the OLED light-emitting material market.
However, in the smartphone market, Chinese panel manufacturers' quarterly market share exceeded 50%, surpassing South Korea. Although South Korea maintains the dominant position in the overall market, there is an imbalance in key application areas.
According to market research company UBI Research, in the first half of 2025, the total procurement volume of OLED light-emitting materials by South Korean panel manufacturers exceeded that of China.
South Korea's procurement volume in the first half of the year was approximately 36.7 tons, accounting for 59.9%, while China's procurement volume was 24.6 tons, accounting for 40.1%. Looking at it quarter by quarter, South Korea continued to lead, with a procurement volume of 18.6 tons in the first quarter and 12.8 tons in China; in the second quarter, South Korea's procurement volume was 18.1 tons, and China's procurement volume was 11.8 tons.
However, the scene in the smartphone OLED light-emitting material market was different, with Chinese panel manufacturers' market share exceeding South Korea and breaking through 50% in the first half of 2025.
This indicates that although South Korea maintains a dominant position in the entire OLED light-emitting material market, China is rapidly expanding its share in this key application area of smartphones. Industry insiders said that as Chinese companies quickly increase their shipments in the domestic market, it is expected that in the long term, the balance between South Korea and China will change.
Looking at the market share of each company, Samsung Display holds the largest share in the entire OLED light-emitting material market, about 40%. Followed by LG Display, BOE, and Tianma.
At the same time, in the smartphone light-emitting material market, BOE is following closely behind Samsung Display, and its market share continues to expand, followed by Tianma, CSOT, and LG Display. Although South Korean companies maintain a solid position in the overall market, Chinese companies have also made significant progress in the smartphone field.
UBI Research stated, "Although South Korea has been surpassed by China in the smartphone OLED light-emitting material market, Samsung Display and LG Display, which supply IT-related products, QD-OLED, and WOLED, still lead in the overall OLED market compared to China. However, as the shipment volume of smartphones and foldable phones from Chinese panel manufacturers increases, as well as the shipment volume of IT OLEDs, the gap between South Korea and China in the light-emitting material market is rapidly narrowing."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846124241569994/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.