On May 12, Korea & Company announced that it recorded consolidated sales of KRW 388.7 billion and operating profit of KRW 126.9 billion in the first quarter of 2025.
Both sales and operating profit increased by 11.5% and 1.1%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. This growth was largely driven by the battery (lead-acid battery) business, which accounts for approximately 70% of Korea & Company's total sales and saw its revenue rise by 18.8% year-on-year. The battery business segment achieved sales of KRW 270.2 billion in the first quarter.
Among these, sales volume of the premium line 'AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat)' batteries grew by about 10% compared to the same period last year, and AGM battery sales in the North American market also increased by approximately 6% year-on-year.
Korea & Company plans to continue expanding the production and sales of AGM batteries this year, while also developing lithium-ion batteries (LIB, Lithium Ion Battery). In addition, together with its domestic Jeonju and Daejeon plants, the company intends to respond flexibly to changes in the global environment through its local production base in the United States.
Furthermore, on May 9, Korea & Company Group established the corporate venture capital (CVC) 'Korea & Company Ventures Co., Ltd.' in line with its commitment to securing new growth engines and creating jobs by supporting promising startups, thereby contributing to the national economy.
Going forward, this entity will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Korea & Company, with plans to discover and foster high-tech startups in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, aerospace, and quantum computing.
A company representative stated, "Hankook batteries, along with tires and automotive thermal management systems, will serve as future growth engines for the group. We will continue to expand the business by increasing the share of AGM batteries," adding, "We will also strengthen the holding company's core role in identifying new future growth engines for the group."
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