March 29, 2005 – Sony Corp. has opened a new logistics office in South Korea to support operation of a flat-panel joint venture with Samsung Electronics Co., Sony’s Korean unit said Monday, according to Asia Pulse Pte Ltd. The new office in Seoul, named Sony Supply Chain Solutions Korea, is aimed at providing services for LCD screens produced by the venture.
The office is a wholly owned by Sony, according to the statement. “We set up the new office because LCD production at the venture is imminent,” the statement said. Sony’s Korean unit officials were not immediately available for comment.
Last July, Samsung and Sony launched the 50-50 joint venture, S-LCD Corp., in Tangjeong, about 100 km south of Seoul, to produce so-called seventh-generation LCD panels. Succeeding generations in LCDs allow manufacturers to produce a larger panel at a lower cost. At the time, Samsung said the venture, capitalized at 2.1 trillion won, would produce 60,000 panels/month by early this year.