韩媒：两大面板厂今年将不再增投大尺寸OLED

Core Viewpoint - Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) are expected to refrain from investing in large-sized OLED panel equipment this year due to stagnant front-end market demand, with only some production lines currently operational [1][6]. Group 1: Investment Trends - The investment focus of South Korean display manufacturers has shifted towards medium and small-sized OLED panels, driven by cost-cutting measures amid increasing global economic uncertainty [3][8]. - Both SDC and LGD are implementing supplementary investments aimed at minimizing cash outflow [3][8]. - The display industry has gained relatively little from AI service infrastructure compared to other sectors, leading manufacturers to concentrate on high-margin medium and small-sized OLED panels [3][8]. Group 2: Market Demand and Capacity - The front-end market for large-sized OLED panels is primarily divided between televisions and monitors, with previous investments based on anticipated demand for TV panels [3][8]. - However, consumer preferences in the global TV market have shifted towards low-cost, high-value products, delaying the adoption of OLED TVs [3][8]. - Current production capacities are reported as 432,000 units per year for SDC and 720,000 units for LGD, indicating an oversupply situation in the large-sized OLED panel market [4][9]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Challenges - SDC's large-sized quantum dot (QD)-OLED panel production line has experienced significant financial losses, with quarterly losses reaching approximately 350 billion KRW and annual losses exceeding 1 trillion KRW [10]. - LGD is strictly controlling investments to improve its financial situation, facing pressure from both domestic and Chinese competitors [10]. - SDC has invested heavily in the construction of an 8.6-generation OLED panel production line, with capital expenditures (CAPEX) amounting to 3.3 trillion KRW last year, creating additional investment pressures [5][10].