“Major domestic battery materials companies plan to roll out mass-produced LFP cathode products within this year,” Eom said. He said POSCO Future M will complete its production line by July or August, go through certification in the third quarter, and supply mass-produced products to domestic customers by year’s end.
Eom said battery makers’ utilization rates have fallen as growth in the electric vehicle market has slowed. But he said demand is shifting as markets such as energy storage systems and AI data centers “are opening up on a larger scale than EVs.”
Eom also voiced confidence that solid-state battery technology could help South Korea’s battery industry overtake China. “Solid-state batteries are a next-generation technology that can allow Korea’s battery industry to surpass China in the future,” he said. He added that the company has made an equity investment in solid-state battery startup Factorial, and said POSCO Future M’s cathode materials could potentially be used in solid-state batteries for supercars.
As chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, Eom stressed the need to strengthen competitiveness across the sector. “K-battery is facing a crisis due to global supply chain restructuring and the spread of protectionism,” he said. He said materials, parts and equipment companies will work as “one team” on technology development and process innovation, while coordinating closely with the government to boost competitiveness.
Eom said Europe’s recently announced industrial acceleration policy and North American automakers’ strategies to build supply chains less dependent on China could create opportunities for South Korea’s battery industry. He said the industry will strengthen its global competitiveness based on technology, quality and reliability.
The Korea Battery Association is holding InterBattery2026 from March 11 to 13 at COEX in Seoul. The exhibition theme is “Original Innovator, Creating the Future of Energy.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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