From double-sided televisions to towering see-through displays, LG is designing the screens of the future in a South Korean research lab nestled right against the North Korean border.

Visitors to LG's OLED factory must drive beneath the watchful eye of South Korean soldiers manning the guard towers which mark the edge of no-man's land, dividing prosperous south from its volatile neighbour to the north.

Security guards demand to see identification papers at the factory gate and visitors are forbidden from wandering the facility unescorted. The serial numbers of all electronic devices are recorded and smartphone cameras are covered with security tape at reception, before visitors are permitted to peek at the secrets that lie within.

LG Display is the world's only major manufacturer of television-sized Ultra HD OLED panels, and all recording devices are strictly forbidden on the factory floor. Even away from the production line, security is tight in the research and development showroom and there is constant haggling with LG's people as to what can be photographed and reported.

On show are futuristic concept designs and prototypes, some of which are destined to reach our homes in the next few years. Alongside them are LG's commercial designs, set to become the high-tech retail displays, advertising billboards and information kiosks of tomorrow.

Transparent OLED and LED is the key to many designs. Fridges with see-through LED doors will bring augmented reality to the kitchen, not only revealing the food which lies within but superimposing important information such as expiry dates.

You can also scrawl notes on the colour touchscreen fridge door, or play videos and call up information like recipes. Using similar technology, interactive bathroom mirrors are brought to life.

Nearby stands an 2.5-metre tall transparent monolith, made from two 55-inch OLED HD panels stacked end on end. After tense negotiations, LG's people reluctantly switch it on to reveal a giant information kiosk offering amazing picture quality while remaining see-through. Photos are strictly forbidden and LG is tight-lipped on plans to build an Ultra HD version, using two 77-inch displays, for government contracts.

The transparent display technology has the potential to turn entire windows into giant televisions, with LG currently extending its factory to build even larger OLED panels. Rivals Panasonic, Sony and Philips are also entering the OLED television market, but they are sourcing their OLED panels from LG's factories.

The fact that OLED panels don't require a backlight also allows for incredibly thin designs, with LG joining two Ultra HD panels back-to-back to create a remarkable double-sided television.

While curved televisions might not have found favour in the lounge room, LG still sees plenty of potential for them in retail.

Rippling double-sided OLED screens offer vibrant in-store displays but more striking is the cylindrical concept design which links six curved 77-inch Ultra HD OLED panels in a pillar. The displays work in unison to create a 360-degree screen with rolling content that scrolls all the way around.

OLED also allows for flexible displays, such as the W7 wallpaper Ultra HD television now available in Australia at 77 inches for a hefty $39,999.

Using a plastic substrate instead of glass, LG can create OLEDs so flexible they can be rolled up like a sheet of cardboard. Flexible OLED is also coming to cars, from screens mounted in the steering wheel to entire dashboards built from moulded OLED.

Adam Turner visited South Korea as a guest of LG.