As part of its ongoing goal to become the world's leading manufacturer of CDMA and GSM mobile handsets, LG Mobile Phones today announced the opening of its flagship North American Research and Development center. Located near the company's U.S. headquarters in San Diego, the center will provide a unique opportunity for LG's researchers and engineers to tap into the latest technical, cultural and style trends in America. This new facility will give LG increased access to the world of the American consumer and allow them to react quickly to trends, designing and producing handsets that truly meet consumers' most up-to-the-minute needs and raising the bar for form and function. LG's San Diego R&D center joins similar facilities in China, France, India and Russia in rounding out LG's industry-leading global R&D presence.

The San Diego R&D center will enable LG Mobile Phones to continue to develop the world's most sophisticated mobile phones, but with an increased focus on the unique needs of the American consumer. LG Phones have increasingly come to represent the integration of advanced multimedia features with the sleek, stylish form factors that users demand, and the new R&D center will provide a unique environment for multicultural teams to collaborate on the best ways to integrate the latest technologies into LG's popular designs. Additionally, the San Diego R&D center will enable LG engineers to work closely with leading U.S. wireless carriers, creating handsets designed to make use of specific network technologies.

"The establishment of LG's San Diego R&D Center, coupled with the recent openings of similar centers in Asia and Europe, has significantly enhanced the company's global R&D presence, and enables LG to continue its drive to become the top mobile phone maker in the U.S." said Juno Cho, president, LG Mobile Phones. "By establishing our newest R&D center in San Diego, a city at the heart of American culture, LG Mobile Phones is confident that the features and style of upcoming handsets will reflect the desires and input of demanding consumers nationwide."

Currently, LG Electronics operates R&D centers in Paris, Beijing, Bangalore, and Moscow. As part of its ongoing effort to diversify its worldwide R&D staff, LG plans to recruit over 30% of its 5,000 global R&D engineers from outside Korea.