KES Attracts 100,000 Visitors
- Showcasing present, future of electronics, IT industries in Korea

 
The 35th Korea Electronics Show opened on Sept.6 and closed on Sept.10 at the Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy(MOCIE) with the support of the Electronic Industries Association of Korea(EIAK), Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency(KOTRA), and the Korea Electronic Technology Institute(KETI).

The annual event with the theme of "Digital Convergence Experience" this year had 1,100 booths divided into four major sections, digital home appliances, multimedia, information communication, industrial electronics, and electronic parts.

On display were some 250,000 types of high-tech digital electronic equipment, highlighted by 55-inch LCD TVs, multifunction digital camcorders, multimedia phones, and multi-function navigation equipment. They were put on exhibition by 450 electronics firms from 15 countries including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics from Korea.

Lee Ki-sub, director general of Electronics, Textile & Chemical Industries Bureau at MOCIE, said around 4,000 foreign buyers came to the event included among some 100,000 visitors to view the spectacular event. The largest number of booths opened in the electronics section with 185, followed by 112 at the information and communication section, 85 at the multimedia section and 68 at the industrial electronics section.

Drawing the biggest attention were multimedia and digital products. LG Electronics attracted the viewers with its 55-inch LCD TV sets. The product is powered by its own 'XD engine' so that it might be able to take care of all the digital signals with clear pictures and problems associated with signals. Its screen could be seen from a 176-degree angle, the widest in the world with clearer pictures.

Samsung Electronics put on display two DLP projection TVs, powered by DLP engines nick-named, "rocket engines." They are shaped like wall TVs with refined designs. This product has the world? highest contrast ratio at 2500 to 1 with clearer pictures. Viewers are able to control with a remote control equipment DVD players and home theaters. The product captured the silver prize from Interaction Design and Engineering Association (IDEA) and the innovation award at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Competition between the two Korean electronics giants drew attention from the viewers at the KES. LG Electronics put on show its 42-inch and 50-inch PDP TVs with the contrast of 5000 to 1. The company used for the first time a "single scan" technology on the XGA level on its 42-inch PDP TV. The company developed the TV with a 20-man research staff and 3.5 billion won funds. The product captured the Presidential award for bringing down the price of PDP TV to the 200 million won level from 10 million won with the single scan technology. The technology enabled the reduction of parts that went into the TV.

Not to be left behind, Samsung Electronics came up with a PDP TV with the contrast ratio of 8000 to 1, the highest in the world. The electronics maker extended the best picture time from 50,000 hours to 60,000 hours. The company won the Prime Minister's award for its satellite DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) chips. Viewers would be able to use the TV for more than 27 years supposing that they would turn the TV on an average of 6 hours per day.

LG Innotec, in the meantime, captured the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (MOCIE) award for its RF front-end module (FEM), which is a key part in mobile phones. It separates incoming and outgoing signals, while allowing required radio waves to pass. Among the products of technology development leaders, small and medium enterprises and venture firms were plasma TV put on display by Hyundai Imagequest, a portable multimedia player by Iriver, multimedia center by Comart System, 3D scanner by 3 DVR.  

KES has become one of the premier electronics exhibitions in Asia since its initial show in 1969. In October every year, many foreign buyers, and enterprises from countries all over the world schedule their visit to this comprehensive electronics show to obtain the latest information on the development of cutting-edge technologies and the most recent market trends. While contributing about 40 percent of the nation's total exports, Korea's electronics industry is also securing the No.1 global market share in high-tech products, semiconductors(DRAM),TFT-LCD, CDMA mobile phones, etc. with 45 percent, 40 percent, and 44 percent respectively.

Not satisfied with these results, however, Korean electronics businesses will continue to advance into the global market with high value-added, state-of-art products, by securing core part and material technologies and nurturing high-class good-quality technical workers. Highlighting the present and future of the world's cutting-edge electronics and IT industry, KES 2004 is Korea's largest-scale comprehensive electronics exhibition. This show is expected to lay the cornerstones to solidify Korea's position as an advanced electronics nation in the 21st century digital era.   nw