Home > Business > Industry

Battery industry's top leaders receive awards, call for stronger policy support

Published: 30 Oct. 2025, 18:29 Updated: 30 Oct. 2025, 20:39

Zin Park, the executive director of Samsung SDI [SAMSUNG SDI]

The government awarded 20 leaders in the battery sector with top government commendations on Thursday, and the industry’s top representative urged stronger policy support to drive innovation, secure next-generation technologies and localize supply chains.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Korea Battery Industry Association held a ceremony marking the fifth Battery Industry Day at Josun Palace in southern Seoul.

Zin Park, the executive director of Samsung SDI, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, the highest honor at the event. Organizers recognized Park for advancing long-life, high-power battery technology and improving the safety of energy storage systems.

Park also led the development and commercialization of the world’s first electric vehicle battery capable of a 600-kilometer (372-mile) range on a single charge and 20-minute fast charging, helping Samsung SDI secure major contracts from global automakers.

Jang Sung-kyun, the president of L&F, received the Industrial Service Medal for his work on high-nickel cathode materials and overseas expansion.

Oh Seung-mo, the chief technical adviser at MinTech, received a presidential commendation for his contributions to core technologies for all-solid-state batteries, as well as to talent development and academic collaboration.

Seventeen individuals, including Choi Seok-won, the vice president at LG Energy Solution, and Kim Jeom-soo, a professor at Dong-A University, received commendations from the prime minister and the trade minister.

Choi Joong-kyung, the Korea-America Association chairman and president, received a special achievement award from the Korea Battery Industry Association for supporting bilateral battery industry ties through outreach efforts in U.S. investment regions.

During his opening remarks, Kim Dong-myung, the chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, urged the government to introduce a Korean version of the Inflation Reduction Act to boost domestic investment.

“We need policy support to ensure a virtuous cycle of technological innovation and job creation,” Kim said. “The industry will take the lead in expanding into energy storage systems and battery as a service, securing next-generation battery technologies, localizing raw materials and promoting reuse and recycling of spent batteries as part of our climate response.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI SUN-EUL [[email protected]]