At a media briefing held on May 22 at Samsung Electronics’ press room in Taepyeongno Building, central Seoul, Sung Jong-hoon, Executive Vice President and Head of the Clothing Care Development Group at Samsung’s Digital Appliances (DA) Division, introduced the new all-in-one washer-dryer model, Bespoke AI Combo. The newly unveiled product maintains the same external dimensions as its predecessor but increases drying capacity by 3 kilograms, now offering a market-leading 18 kg drying capacity in Korea. The total cycle time from washing to drying (based on the quick course) has also been reduced from 99 minutes to 79 minutes, shortening the process by 20 minutes. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are once again locked in a high-stakes rivalry—this time over the booming market for all-in-one washer-dryers, dubbed by the industry as the “dream appliance.”
The latest clash began when Samsung claimed during a media briefing Thursday that it holds a commanding 70% share of the domestic market for all-in-one washer-dryer units.
“Based on internal analysis, Samsung has secured a 70% market share in this category,” said Sung Jong-hoon, executive vice president of Samsung’s Digital Appliances division. He added, “As for the remaining 30%, we’re not sure who owns it.”
Samsung did not disclose full sourcing details, only referring to the data as internal research. However, industry observers believe the company is drawing on figures from market research firm GfK.
LG Electronics swiftly disputed the claim, stating that according to its own calculations, it holds a 55% share of the Korean market. The company said the figure reflects domestic sales since the product’s launch last year and is based on internal sales tracking across retail and subscription platforms.
Neither company provided independently verifiable data to support their competing figures.
Samsung launched its Bespoke AI Combo washer-dryer in February 2024 and has since sold over 100,000 units domestically. LG, meanwhile, announced that its combined sales of hybrid washer-dryer appliances—including the flagship Tromm WashTower and newer WashCombo—have surpassed 1.1 million units in Korea, with 1 million of those attributed to the WashTower model alone.
LG Tromm Objet Collection WashCombo All-in-One Washer-Dryer (Image provided by LG Electronics)
The friction echoes similar tensions seen last year, when both firms introduced their all-in-one washer-dryers around the same time and engaged in a subtle but sharp campaign war over energy efficiency, drying methods, and pricing. The two also traded barbs over detergent tray placement and data sources used for market share claims.
LG has continued to question the reliability of GfK data, pointing out that the firm does not fully capture subscription-based or LG Best Shop sales, which it says understates LG’s performance.
The dispute mirrors a similar episode in 2023, when Samsung used GfK figures to claim the top spot in Korea’s air conditioner market, prompting LG to reject the validity of those statistics.
The washer-dryer battle follows another recent dispute over OLED TV dominance. In April 2025, Samsung’s display chief claimed that its 77-inch-and-larger OLED TVs commanded 60% of the domestic market, asserting the company’s leadership in the large-format OLED segment.
LG countered with data from market research firm Omdia, stating Samsung’s share in that category was merely one-third of LG’s.
As both companies continue to push deeper into premium appliance categories, the battle for market dominance—fueled by conflicting metrics and competitive bravado—shows no sign of cooling.
Rivalry Heats Up as Samsung and LG Dispute Washer-Dryer Market Leadership (Image supported by ChatGPT)
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
