Sharp, which makes Aquos-brand LCD televisions, claims that its South Korean rival produced LCD products using patents owned by the Japanese firm. Sharp has already filed a similar lawsuit against Samsung in the United States.

The patents relate to LCD technologies that achieve high brightness, a fast response and a wide viewing angle, Sharp said in a statement.

The suit, which was filed with the Seoul Central District Court, requests compensatory damages and a ban on the manufacturing and sale of infringing products in South Korea, it said.

The Japanese firm filed a similar suit against Samsung in August in Texas seeking a ban of the sale of Samsung LCD modules in the US as well as televisions and mobile phones which use the technology.

"We have taken this legal action, but hopefully we will eventually be able to reconcile our differences and settle the matter in a positive way," said a Sharp spokeswoman.

Sharp is a pioneer of LCD screens, having launched one of the world's first LCD pocket calculators in 1973.