On April 17, Chairman Shin Dong-bin of Lotte Group visited the Lotte Energy Materials’ smart factory in Kuching in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia to inspect the secondary battery material business and engage with local employees.Since 2019, Lotte Energy Materials has been producing copper foil in
As the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries, often referred to as the “battery of dreams,” approaches, Korean battery materials companies are pumping up their efforts to build an ecosystem.According to industry sources on April 10, Samsung SDI recently started building a domestic supply ch
SK Innovation announced at its shareholder meeting held on March 28 that it will reassess numerous businesses it has aggressively pursued so far. The company expressed its intention to focus on select ventures and concentrate its efforts.According to industry sources on March 28, SK has been conduct
Point2 Technology announced on March 4 that it has raised US$23 million in Series B1 funding from Bosch Ventures and Molex.The company’s e-tube technology is 80% lighter and 50% less voluminous than traditional copper wire. Additionally, it can reduce power consumption and cost by 50% compared to op
LS Eco Advanced Materials, a subsidiary of LS Cable & System, announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the German-based Vacuumschmelze, the largest permanent magnet manufacturer in Europe, to establish a joint venture corporation.The two companies plan to establish the j
The domestic copper foil industry is strategically increasing investments in North America and Europe, aiming to gain a competitive advantage over China, which is launching a low-cost offensive in the medium to long term.As of Feb. 7, industry sources indicate that Lotte Advanced Materials plans to
SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has established a roadmap to actively utilize recycled1 and renewable2 materials in production, marking the first case that a semiconductor company lays out such mid- to long-term plan.“In order to achieve Net Zero, or Carbon Neutrality, establishing a circular
The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) will join forces with leading European industries, academia, and research centers in an international collaboration to develop carbon-neutral technologies.KIER has been officially selected by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Program as part of a conso
With the re-addition of Guatemala, the only Central American country that had previously withdrawn from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea and Central American nations, the FTA has reached its final completion.The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) announced that it formall
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaekwang.rhee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Buoyed by increased sales volume and prices, Korea Zinc’s 4Q23 earnings should display q-q improvement. Over the mid/long term, we expect the copper and nickel smelting businesses to lead the f
LS Group announced on Dec. 28 that it plans to invest over 2 trillion won to venture into the secondary battery materials sector. LS Corporation, the holding company, and its subsidiary, LS MnM, is set to embark on the construction of production facilities for secondary battery materials in earnest
LS Cable & System has developed a new material for copper foil, marking a significant step towards expanding its eco-friendly material business.On Dec. 20, LS Cable & System announced the development of CuFlake, a new copper material for copper foil. This material is the first in the world to commer
POSCO International is rapidly transforming into an eco-friendly comprehensive business company and a business platform provider.POSCO International announced on Dec. 19 that, in its first year since the merger with POSCO Energy, it has successfully established three major business value chains -- e
An increase in the use of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing the number of waste batteries. Under these circumstances, Korean researchers have developed a new technology to recycle them in an eco-friendly way.On Dec. 7, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced tha
Amid the global economic downturn and challenges such as weakened demand for petrochemical products as well as increased self-sufficiency in China, which is the largest market for domestic companies, the South Korean petrochemical industry is accelerating business restructuring.According to Korea Cr
The Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) has announced substantial financial support for the construction of Hyundai Mobis electric vehicle (EV) parts plant in the United States.On Nov. 8, K-SURE revealed plans to back the establishment of Hyundai Mobis’ new U.S. EV parts facility with a finan
Fierce competition among major corporations is currently underway in the copper foil market dominated by SK Nexilis, a 100 percent subsidiary of SKC.SK Nexilis, an SK subsidiary specializing in the manufacture of copper foil for secondary batteries, and Lotte Chemical’s subsidiary Lotte Energy Mater
SKC is accelerating its business restructuring efforts, actively pursuing mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and investments, while streamlining its underperforming sectors. The company is transitioning its portfolio from a chemical-focused approach, including films and basic materials, to high value-a
The South Korean semiconductor industry is experiencing a surge in domestic production of advanced materials for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), often touted as next-generation DRAM. As Samsung Electronics and SK hynix amplify their HBM production capabilities, heightened technical advancements across
Lotte Chemical has sold off all of its plants producing general-purpose petrochemicals in China. General-purpose petrochemicals have become a marginal business for the company with deteriorated profitability due to aggressive expansion by Chinese companies.According to industry sources on Oct. 9, Lo