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Korea - PCs Top TVs As Largest Electronics Market
SEOUL, KOREA, 1996 DEC 23 (NB) -- By Kim Dong-Gun. Domestic sales of personal computers are likely to reach 2.56 trillion won this year, emerging as the single largest consumer electronics market. According to figures released by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), Korean consumers are expected to buy approximately 2.56 trillion won ($3.2 billion) worth of desktop and notebook PCs this year, which represents a 2.7-fold increase over the local TV set market, estimated at 955.6 billion won ($1.19 billion).
The PC market will also be about 3.5 times larger than sales of stereos and refrigerators, whose sales volumes are projected to grow to 723.7 billion won and 732 billion won, respectively, by year-end. Compared with the markets for washers, VCRs and air conditioners, whose sales are estimated at 596 billion won, 382 billion won and 257 billion won, respectively, the volume of PC sales will be about 4, 6 and 10 times as large. Notably, the PC market is bigger than markets for TVs, freezers and washers combined.
PCs purchased by households, which will amount to 860 billion won, are likely to exceed the corporate demand by about 160 billion won for the first time this year. The MIC figures also unveiled market-share rankings of each of the domestic PC manufacturers. Samsung Electronics Co. topped the list by selling about 433,000 notebooks and desktops this year in the local market, valued at 620 billion won, which represents a share of 24.1 percent.
Trigem Computer Co. ranked second with sales volume of 363,000 units (worth 519.2 billion won), or a share of 20.3 percent. Samsung and Trigem are followed by Sejin Computer with 230,000 units (a 12.8-percent share), LG Electronics with 140,000 units (7.8 percent), Hyundai Electronics Ind. with 133,000 units (7.4 percent) and Daewoo Telecom with 94,000 units (5.3 percent). Imported PCs accounted for less than 5 percent of the market, or 90,000 units.
The PC market is expected to show a far more robust growth in 1997, partly due to the introduction of DVD (digital video disc) ROM PCs, which are capable of handling three movies in a single DVD diskette. On the other hand, the market for notebook PCs will become a much fiercer battlefield among the nation's five largest PC makers, with newcomers Hyundai Electronics and LG-IBM moving to strengthen their marketing campaigns.
Samsung, which will sell about 100,000 notebook PCs by year-end, aims to increase its sales volume to 200,000 units in the local market and 300,000 units in overseas market in 1997, becoming one of the world's 10 largest notebook makers. Trigem Computer has set its notebook sales target for 1997 at 100,000 units, up about 300 percent from 34,000 units this year. Daewoo Telecom has also raised next year's notebook sales goals from 30,000 units in Korea and 20,000 units abroad this year to 150,000 units and 200,000 units, respectively.
Hyundai Electronics, which sold 16,000 units this year, aims to more than double the sales volume next year. "The nation's notebook market is expected to grow to 400,000 units in 1997," said an industry analyst. "But sales goals of the local and foreign notebook makers far exceed the 400,000 level. A fierce marketing war is expected among them," he said.
Samsung and Daewoo will continue to market their self-built notebook models, while Trigem, Hyundai and LG-IBM plan to introduce Taiwanese- and U.S.-made notebooks on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis.
Exchange rate: 800 won = US$1 |
