LG Says Laptop Batteries Safe

South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. said an independent investigation into a January laptop computer battery explosion showed that batteries used in such computers won't blow up under normal conditions.

"An external shock under an extremely high temperature caused the explosion in January," the company said in a statement Tuesday, citing a test result report by the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, a state-sponsored power apparatus test firm.

"Under normal usage conditions, it is not possible for a notebook PC battery to combust," it said.

The company said tests did not reveal what initially caused the high temperature.

South Korean media reported that a laptop belonging to a South Korean journalist burst into flames after smoke began to emerge from it. The LG Electronics notebook computer was fitted with a battery manufactured by its affiliate LG Chem Ltd. There were no injuries.

Both companies have since investigated the incident to determine the exact cause of the explosion.

LG Chem said Tuesday it won't recall the batteries used in the notebook computers by LG Electronics.