South Korea emerged as the world's second-largest manufacturer and supplier of light emitting diode (LED) modules last year, moving up two notches from the fourth place in just one year, the government said Tuesday.

   Global sales of South Korean LED manufacturers more than doubled from 3.1 trillion won (US$2.83 billion) in 2009 to 6.9 trillion won last year, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

   South Korea posted its first surplus of $414 million in global LED trade, a drastic turnaround from a trade deficit of $172 million in 2009.

   The heightened status came after the country commercialized LED televisions for the first time in the world in 2009, the ministry said.

   "The country joined the global LED industry much later than most advanced countries, but became an important player in the global market in such a short period of time due to active government support and investment by the local industry," the ministry said in a press release.

   Government policy also helped increase the domestic use of LED lighting, whose market share widened from about 1 percent in 2007 to 2.5 percent last year.

   The government plans to further promote the use of the energy-efficient lighting to increase its market share to 60 percent by 2020, the ministry said.

Source: Yonhap News (August 9, 2011)