The recent recall of Hyundai Motor’s Kona electric vehicle is shining a spotlight on separators, one of the four key components of EV batteries along with cathodes, anodes and electrolytes. Separators are basically thin walls with tiny holes that divide cathodes from anodes. When batteries are charged and discharged, ions go back and forth between cathodes and anodes through these tiny holes. Separators prevent cathodes and anodes from reacting to each other and triggering short circui

Korea Power Corp. said Monday it has launched a special task force dedicated to tackling structural and systemic constraints that keep South Korea’s burgeoning renewable energy industry from growing. According to the state-run utility, it will construct power grids preemptively in regions where renewable energy facilities are expected to be built, including Shinan and Yeonggwang in South Jeolla Province. Since October 2016, Kepco has initiated a policy that guarantees access to power

Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDI said Friday that they have begun training more than 1,500 miners from 12 mining cooperatives in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo, this month to supply cobalt in a more environmentally friendly manner. The project, “Cobalt for Development,” also aims to promote safe working conditions and the well-being of local communities. Through the project -- a cross-industry initiative of Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, BMW, BASF and Volkswagen -- th

LG Chem’s plan to split off its battery business received final approval at a shareholders meeting at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, western Seoul, Friday. The split-off required support from at least two-thirds of all shareholders in attendance, who had to possess at least one-third of all shares issued. “About 77.5 of shareholders participated in the meeting and 82.3 of them voted yes. Also, the split-off earned support from 63.7 percent of total shares,” an LG Chem offi

PRINCIPAL AWARDS/ GOLD PRIZE GS CALTEX By Lee Sang-hun Vice president of Public Relations  First, I feel grateful to receive the gold prize for this year’s The Korea Herald Advertising Awards and there is no doubt that this would become a great energy for GS Caltex to carry out its communication activities in the future. In 2009, GS Caltex set its corporate brand image as “Energy for sustainable life” and developed “I am your Energy” as a brand slogan to

CREATIVE AWARDS/ GRAND PRIZE SK INNOVATION By Lim Su-kil Head of PR Office SK Innovation is pursuing its “Green Balance 2030” initiative with full force to seek growth through an eco-friendly business management strategy. SK Innovation sends gratitude to all who supported our corporate public relations campaign “Hi !nnovation -- Save Ink.” SK Innovation, which aims to go beyond its energy and petrochemical businesses and open up the future of sustainability, has

Samsung Electronics posted a record-breaking quarterly revenue in the July-September period, buoyed by the strong performance of its device solutions and consumer electronics businesses, according to a regulatory filing Thursday. The South Korean information technology giant enjoyed a quarterly revenue of 66.9 trillion won ($59 billion), up 8 percent on-year and breaking the previous record of 65.9 trillion won set in 2017. The company’s operating profit spiked 58.8 percent to 12.3 trill

Nexon said Thursday that it is offering a therapy program to care for the mental health of employees who are experiencing emotional swings as the pandemic drags on. According to the South Korean game company, its psychotherapy program, “Reading My Mind,” which has been running since 2017, provides employees with therapy sessions where they can talk about stress they are experiencing around work, personal relationships and family. “Since March, Nexon expanded its therapy p

Nexon said Thursday its foundation will donate 10 billion won ($8.8 million) to Seoul National University Hospital to build an independent palliative care center dedicated to children. The South Korean game company will raise the funds together with its holding company NXC and its subsidiary Neople, and use the money for buying land, construction and operation of the hospice. Set for completion in 2022, the care center will be located in Jongro-gu, Seoul and provide palliative care service

South Korea’s National Pension Service said Tuesday it will vote against LG Chem’s plan to carve out its battery business into a wholly-owned subsidiary LG Energy Solution, though the state pension fund’s opposition is unlikely to hinder the move. The split-off, which awaits a final approval at a shareholders’ meeting set for Friday, requires support from more than two-thirds of shareholders in attendance and one-third of outstanding shares. The NPS is the second-large

Krafton said Tuesday it has designated five underwriters to publicly list the company in 2021. According to the South Korean game company best known for the shooter game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Mirae Asset Daewoo is the lead underwriter while co-underwriters include Credit Suisse Securities, Citigroup Global Markets Korea Securities, JP Morgan and NH Investment & Securities. “Our goal is to list the company in Korea next year. After selecting underwriters, we will make

LG International has been recognized for its practices in environmental responsibility, social responsibility and governance at the 2020 Outstanding Companies Awards hosted by the Korea Corporate Governance Service, the company said Tuesday. According to the commodity trading and mining affiliate of LG Group, it received an “A” ESG rating from the KCGS, an improvement from a B+ from a year earlier. Specifically, LG International was given an A in environmental responsibility, an

Samsung SDI enjoyed a 61.1 percent surge in revenue to 267.4 billion won ($237.4 billion) in the third quarter, fueled by a strong performance of its battery business, according to a regulatory filing posted on Tuesday. The South Korean battery giant recorded 3.08 trillion won and 240.7 billion won in revenue and net profit, a 20.2 percent and 10.7 percent jump in the same period. The company’s booming battery business registered a revenue of 2.3 trillion won, a 22 percent spike compa

Some say the coronavirus has changed everything. But Kim Ran-do, a renowned scholar on fast-emerging trends in South Korea, said the change was already happening and the pandemic has only accelerated it. At The Korea Herald Biz Forum: “Contact less, connect more,” held Tuesday at The Shilla in Seoul, the professor of consumer studies at Seoul National University said the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the speed of today’s trends but not their direction. “In 2018, I coi

Unity, a widely used game engine used to create multiple-dimensional, virtual reality, and augmented reality games, has emerged as a new platform for rising industries to test their new technologies such as self-driving cars in virtual reality. The engine is used in other industries as well, such as films, engineering and construction. But despite its outreach to industries seeking technological transformations, the company faces a dilemma over its subscription-based business model. Rega