Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics maintained their leadership in flat TV sales in the first quarter of this year with their aggregate market share accounting for almost half of the global market.

Samsung posted a 29.6 percent market share, up from 26.8 percent last year, topping the world’s flat TV market for the 33rd consecutive quarter in the January-March period, Samsung said Friday, citing a report by market researcher DisplaySearch.

LG came second with its market share standing at 16.9 percent, up from 15.3 percent last year, followed by Sony at 6.8 percent and Hisense at 6.4 percent.

Samsung’s market shares in North America, Europe and Latin America came to 35.9 percent, 42.7 percent and 36.6 percent, respectively.

Samsung also took the lead in other segments including liquid crystal display TVs and light-emitting display TVs.

“Samsung held a solid lead in the market for TV products with a 60-inch or larger flat screen,” the firm said in a press release.

Dethroning Sony in the ultrahigh-definition TV sector, Samsung became the largest UHD TV maker during the first quarter, with its market share in the premium TV segment soaring to 21.6 percent from 11.9 percent last year.

Chinese TV makers Hisense and Skyworth, which recorded 16 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively, came second and third, followed by LG and Sony.

Sony, which snatched up 22.9 percent of the UHD TV market last year, saw its share plummet to 9.8 percent.

A Samsung official attributed the first-quarter market share increases to the firm’s premium marketing measures for its smart TVs, curved UHD TVs and flat-screen UHD TVs.

Samsung said it would try to increase its efforts to expand the premium TV lineups.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)