Last April, a Seoul Metropolitan Subway platform became the world’s first to come alive with LG Display’s Transparent OLED. 32 Transparent OLED panels were installed on the platform screen doors at Yeouido Station. These screens conveniently provide passengers with not only Seoul’s new single-line subway map but also operational information, safety details like emergency evacuation instructions, and more.
Let’s take a look at how subway platform screen doors and cutting-edge display technology have met in the form of Transparent OLED!
Subway maps to safety information,
all on a Transparent OLED screen door!
Since the opening of Line 1 in 1974, Seoul Metro’s subway network has undergone continuous extensions and expansions. It now operates across a total of 23 lines. As a result, the city of Seoul decided it was time to unveil a newly designed single-line subway map — the first revision in 40 years — that would be “visually appealing and easy to find” for everyone, including first-time users, senior citizens, and foreign visitors.
The Transparent OLED installation project at Yeouido Station, where the new singleline map is on show, was carried out as part of the Korean government’s display technology support program overseen by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT).The system was recently put into full operation by Seoul Metro.
Why is LG Display’s Transparent OLED gaining attention in the mobility sector?
LG Display’s Transparent OLED is attracting attention in the mobility sector, including subways, because it combines public interest – ensuring passenger safety – with commercial viability.
The most essential function of a subway platform’s screen doors is to allow immediate visibility of both internal and external situations. Transparent OLED has a high level of transparency, is lightweight, and boasts thinness – making it capable of replacing glass windows. This means it can maintain core safety functionality while simultaneously displaying map, operational, and other convenient information on a large screen. Unlike traditional information displays on the ceiling of waiting areas or on printed materials attached to columns, it is implemented as video content on transparent screen doors, which enhances attention among passengers and provides a smarter boarding experience.
In addition, the potential of Transparent OLED as a subway advertising platform is immense, as it draws passengers’ attention with dynamic images and videos even within the limited space of a subway station. This is because this new technology has been applied to screen door space that previously had no practical use.
The infinite possibilities unique to Transparent OLED,
showcased by Transparent OLED
▲LG Display’s Transparent OLED showcasing versatile applications in subway train windows, future mobility, and retail spaces
LG Display’s Transparent OLED already has various use cases in the mobility sector. Overseas, public transportation systems that have adopted it are connecting citizens’ lives.
Transparent OLED for railway use has been supplied to subway systems in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, as well as to JR East trains in Japan. In Korea, it was first installed in the windows of GTX-A line trains last April, delivering a new passenger experience by offering an open, spacious feel and providing varied information.
Transparent OLED is further expanding into various fields, including mobility sectors such as automotive and aviation, as well as retail, signage, and architecture. Transparent OLED is innovating spaces, creating new value, and enriching lives!
