Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. is emerging as a top candidate to buy new shares in LG.Philips LCD or existing shares from co-owner Philips， a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

　　Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is widely expected to sell its 33 percent stake when its ownership lock-up period expires in mid-2007.

　　“Matsushita officials inspected plants in Paju and Kumi at the end of last year，” the unnamed senior official of LG.Philips was quoted as saying in Wednesday's Korea Economic Daily.?

　　韓國一家報紙昨日稱，日本松下電器產業公司很可能購買韓國LG飛利浦公司的新股，或者購入飛利浦公司在LG飛利浦中的股份。

　　LG飛利浦是荷蘭飛利浦公司與韓國LG電子的合資公司。業內預測，在2007年年中持股閉鎖期結束后，飛利浦很可能會出售其所持有的33%LG飛利浦股份。

　　“松下電器的高官去年底在LG飛利浦位于坡州和龜尾的工廠視察，”熟知此次交易的一名LG飛利浦高官說，“那次視察是應松下電器的要求以了解