South Korea’s LG Electronics will expand its overseas store network by as much as 20 per cent this year.

With its overseas network currently at 3000, that translates to another 600 stores.

The company says its primary focus will be on India, the Middle East and Africa.

The expansion is part of a strategy to better compete with Apple and Samsung, which has just sealed a deal to open stores-in-stores in the US chain Best Buy.

With global market share in the mobiles phone ectors of 3.2 per cent in the fourth quarter last year, LG is currently ranked fifth after Samsung, Nokia, Apple and ZTE Corporation of China.

EVP Kim Ki-wan said the company will complement its network expansion with increased marketing efforts for smartphones.

“Mobile phones now play a decisive role in shaping the company’s brand,” said Ki-wan.

“We finally started making products last year that are competitive enough and in some ways are better than others.”