LG Electronics said Thursday that it will launch its new flagship smartphone Optimus LTE 2 in the local market this week.

In a press event held at its headquarters in Yeouido, the company showcased the new handset, equipped with the world’s first 2 gigabyte RAM. The handset will only be released in Korea, according to the firm’s mobile chief Park Jong-seok. The new LTE phone also carries the 1.5 gigahertz Snapdragon S4 processor.

“The places actively promoting the LTE networks are currently North America, Korea and Japan. For the other markets, we have rolled out the 3G smartphone called L-Style and positive responses are being met,” said Park. “Optimus LTE 2 is designed exclusively for Korea.”

The event takes place as the company is aiming to sell up to 35 million smartphones this year, with 8 million units being the high-speed LTE handsets.

Claiming that the battery life has been enhanced by up to 40 percent compared to its previous model, the new Optimus LTE 2 is also running on Google’s latest Ice Cream Sandwich platform. Samsung Electronics’ new Galaxy S3, which will roll out in Europe later this month, is also powered by the same mobile platform.

Regarding the launch of quad-core smartphones, the company expects to release the gadget in Korea as it is to debut in Europe next month.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)