Battery Industry Association Hosts Battery Industry Day... LG Energy Solution's Kim Dong-myeong Awarded Gold Tower Industrial Medal

The Korea Battery Industry Association held the "4th Battery Industry Day" event on the 1st at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

At the event, about 250 industry officials attended, including Lee Seung-ryeol, Director General of Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Kim Dong-myeong, Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association (CEO of LG Energy Solution); Park Jin, Vice Chairman of the Association (Vice President of Samsung SDI); Ko Chang-guk, Vice President of SK On; Eom Ki-cheon, Vice President of POSCO Future M; and Lee Dong-gi, CEO of COEX, among other association chairpersons.

At this awards ceremony, Kim Dong-myeong, CEO of LG Energy Solution, received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for his contributions to the development of the battery industry. Kim joined the secondary battery industry in 1998 as a researcher at LG Chem's Battery Research Institute. He was recognized for leading the development of South Korea's battery industry by mastering all areas related to batteries, including R&D, product and strategic planning, and marketing.

In particular, since Kim's appointment as the new CEO of LG Energy Solution in March this year, LG Energy Solution has consecutively secured large-scale supply contracts for batteries for commercial vehicles, LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate), and ESS (Energy Storage System) batteries. It is being evaluated that differentiated technology and portfolio diversification are turning the electric vehicle chasm crisis into an opportunity.

Upon his inauguration as chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, Kim emphasized a "one team" approach across the entire battery ecosystem. Through cooperative leadership, he is actively forming the National Assembly's "Secondary Battery Forum" and making government policy proposals to respond to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) trade issues and overcome the chasm.

Kim Jun-seop, CEO of PNT, who led the localization of secondary battery electrode process equipment, received the Industrial Medal, and Kim Tae-an, Group Leader at Samsung SDI who led the development of prismatic batteries installed in premium vehicles, was awarded the Presidential Citation.

Thirteen people, including Woo Soon-gi, Director of SolarEdge Technologies, who has devoted over 30 years to developing new methods related to secondary battery safety, were awarded the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Citation. The Association's Special Merit Award was given to Lee Dong-gi, CEO of COEX, who actively supported the growth of the battery industry exhibition "InterBattery," first held in 2013, into a global battery exhibition.

Additionally, Jeong Gwang-hae, an official at Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Office who contributed to revitalizing the battery industry in the Chungbuk region, and Jang Hana, a reporter at Yonhap News Agency who contributed to raising public interest and understanding of the battery industry through battery-related articles, received the Association Chairman's Award.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Kim Dong-myeong said, "To secure future battery technology supremacy and lead the battery industry in our country, our industry is expanding its business areas not only to electric vehicles but also to energy storage systems and battery lifecycle services, diversifying product portfolios such as LFP and mid-nickel." He requested organic cooperation among industry, government, and the National Assembly, saying, "For this, the industry, government, and legislature must move forward together like a three-legged race."

"Battery Industry Day" was designated on November 1, 2021, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Korea Battery Industry Association and to celebrate the achievements of the battery industry, which has emerged as a national strategic industry. A commemorative ceremony is held annually on the same day, and awards are given to those who have contributed to the development of the industry.