LG sees mobile phone sales over 70 mn in '06

LG Electronics, the world's fourth-largest mobile phone
maker, said on Sunday it expected to sell over 70 million mobile phones globally
in 2006, up from an expected 55 million in 2005.

A recovery in the mobile phone business is set to lead an
improvement in earnings at LG, which is also the world's number three producer
of household appliances in revenue terms.

The South Korean company said in a statement it would focus
on increasing high-end handset shipments to its established markets, including
Europe and China.

"LG Electronics plans to supply more than 70 million
mobile phones in the global market this year," it said. "Our company
will seek continuing growth in the handset business through expanding business
in fast-growing emerging markets and boosting sales of WCDMA handsets."

LG, which trails Nokia, Motorola Inc. and Samsung Electronics
in the global mobile phone market, said in October it aimed to sell 100 million
mobile phones in 2007. The mobile phone division accounted for 43 percent of its
revenue in the third quarter.

LG's plasma display panels (PDP) business will also spur
growth this year. The company has revealed an aggressive investment plan to
raise its PDP production capacity by 50 percent in 2006, anticipating a boom in
global demand for large, flat-screen TVs.

However, the strength of the won poses a problem for LG and
other South Korean exporters as a high currency hurts their price
competitiveness abroad.

LG said on Friday it was targetting 2006 sales of 24 trillion won ($24.1
billion).

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