[Edaily Reporter Choi Oh-hyun ] Shin Young-ki, Vice President of SK On, received a Presidential Commendation for his contributions to the localization of battery production facilities and supporting the overseas expansion of domestic equipment manufacturers. Lee Kang-myung, CEO of SungEel HiTech Co., Ltd., received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, and Choi Moon-ho, CEO of ECOPRO BM CO., LTD., was awarded the Order of Industrial Service Merit.

The Korea Battery Industry Association held a ceremony to commemorate the “6th Battery Industry Day” on the 29th at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and presented government awards to 20 individuals recognized for their contributions to the development of the battery industry.

CEO Lee Kang-myung, who received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit—the highest honor—was recognized for pioneering South Korea’s first business dedicated to recycling used lithium-ion batteries. He is credited with establishing the foundation for the domestic battery resource recycling industry by leading the localization and commercialization of technologies for recovering key minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium.

CEO Choi Moon-ho, who received the Industrial Medal, was recognized for leading the localization and export-oriented industrialization of high-nickel cathode materials. ECOPRO BM CO., LTD. won the $3 billion Export Tower Award in 2023 and, as of last year, secured an annual production capacity of 262,000 metric tons of cathode materials.

Executive Vice President Shin Young-ki, who received the Presidential Commendation, was recognized for maintaining a domestic equipment localization rate of over 90% during the construction of SK On’s production bases in the U.S., Europe, and China, and for supporting the overseas expansion of domestic equipment companies.

In addition, four individuals—including Kim Young-ki, a team leader at SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD., and Lee Sang-hoon, an executive vice president at LG Energy Solution—received the Prime Minister’s Commendation, while 13 others—including Yoo Hee-eun, a senior researcher at SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD., and Lim Jeong-hwan, an executive vice president at LG Energy Solution—received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Commendation.

The government stated, “We are reviewing support measures, including the introduction of tax incentives to promote domestic production,” and announced plans to formulate measures to strengthen competitiveness by the end of the year. Eom Ki-cheon, Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, said, “We will pool the industry’s capabilities and play a responsible role at the center of driving the sustainable development of the K-Battery industry.”