South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

is the world's third-largest producer of electronics after China and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, accounting for 6.8 percent of global production. South Korea's electronics industry ranked third by production last year, and fifth by consumption. As of 2017, South Korea's electronics industry recorded a production volume of $121.7 billion.

History

For several years after Goldstar produced South Korea's first radio in 1959, the country's electronics industry was mainly focused on internally oriented import substitution, and there were no government agencies or policies to promote the electronics industry. However, the Park Chung-hee government drafted a comprehensive plan to foster the electronics industry as an export-oriented strategic industry in December 1966 after designating 'radio and electrical equipment' as one of 13 export-specialized industries in July 1965.

1966–1979

In the formative years of the electronics industry, the government strategically protected the domestic market and provided incentives for private companies to develop, produce, and export electronics for fostering. Technology has improved, ranging from assembling relatively basic products such as radios to producing more sophisticated products such as color TVs to preparing for the development of core components such as semiconductors.

1980–1992

After its formation, South Korea's electronics industry entered a period of rapid growth, during which the government shifted its focus from consumer electronics to

information and communication technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications ( telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...

, and South Korean companies greatly expanded their R&D to diversify their products and develop core components and materials. During the same period, private companies also greatly expanded their R&D. As a result, Korea developed a digital transformation system in 1982 and 64K DRAM (world's third largest after the

and Japan) in 1983.

1993–present

Then, during the period of sophistication, the government and the private sector actively invested in improving core competencies and quality, taking Korea's electronics industry to a world level. The government provided key infrastructure for informatization and e-government, and sought and promoted new growth engines in cooperation with the private sector.

Manufacturers

The following electronics industry have marketed and sold within South Korea: * Bexel * CAS Corporation * HCT Co., Ltd. * Jinwoo SMC *

LG Display LG Display ( Korean: LG 디스플레이) is one of the world's largest manufacturers and supplier of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, OLEDs and flexible displays. LG Display is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea ...

LG Electronics LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG Corporation, the fourth largest '' chaebol'' in South Korea, and often considered a ...

LG Energy Solution LG Energy Solution, Ltd. (LGES; ) is a battery company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. LGES is one of the largest battery maker alongside CATL, Panasonic, SK Innovation, and Samsung SDI. History LG Chem Energy Solution Business Division (1 ...

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, a ...

Samsung SDI Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. () is a battery and electronic materials manufacturer headquartered in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Samsung SDI operates its business with Energy Solutions and Electronic Materials segment. The Energy Solution segment ma ...

* Coway * Cuckoo Electronics *

Winia Electronics Winia Electronics, formerly named Daewoo Electronics, is a South Korean home appliances company and a member of South Korean Winia Group. Established in 1971, it has since grown into a global business with more than 64 production sites, research ...

References

{{Electronics industry in South Korea