By Kim Yoo-chul
The rivalry between Samsung and LG Electronics continues to grow. The two companies have been locked in fierce competition for nearly half a century across many different areas of business.
Secrets have allegedly been stolen, accusations have been made and even pricey court cases have dragged on. They have locked horns in patent disputes over, amongst many others, OLED technology.
On Monday, a senior Samsung executive urged LG Electronics to fully cooperate in an ongoing probe by local prosecutors over alleged misconduct by an LG executive.
"We don't know why LG Electronics is making noise. We want LG Electronics to fully cooperate with local prosecutors," said the Samsung executive
The remarks come after prosecutors recently imposed an overseas travel ban on Cho Sung-jin, head of LG Electronics' home appliances division, over his apparent vandalism of Samsung products during this year's IFA trade fair in Berlin, Germany, August.
"This issue is very simple. The prosecutors simply have to check captured images from CCTV cameras that we've already submitted to them. Cho is still being investigated by German prosecutors," said Samsung.
While Samsung is currently far ahead of LG Electronics in terms of televisions and handsets sales, LG takes great pride in being the nation's first in appliances.
Samsung, the world's biggest handset manufacturer, has been spending more to strengthen its appliances portfolio.
In accordance with that strategy, Yoon Boo-keun, who helped Samsung become the global leader in TVs since 2004 by passing Japan's Sony, is handling its home appliances business.
The LG Electronics executive Cho had planned to hold a press conference during January's International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES) in the U.S. city of Las Vegas from Jan. 6 to 9; however, it's uncertain whether he can go to the meeting due to the travel ban.
"In the captured images that Samsung gave to the media, there is a scene where a person who seems to be from Samsung hits the machine many times. It is hard to determine whether the vandalized machine that Samsung handed in to the prosecution as evidence is the same as the one from Germany," LG said in a press statement.
LG added that Cho will appear at the prosecutors' office in Seoul after the ICES finalizes.
The expanded legal troubles aren’t surprising and officials say the relationship between the local brands will worsen in the future as the two companies seek to develop next-generation technologies.
"LG Electronics issued a release that it will exhibit quantum-dot LCD TV during the ICES, a move aimed at annoying Samsung because the TV leader Samsung Electronics is also preparing to launch its own non-cadmium quantum-dot TV during the show," said one official.