[New Year's Message] Kim Jong-hyun, President of LG Energy Solution, "We Will Not Compromise on 'Safety' and 'Trust'"

"Proper Compensation for Employees"... Commitment to Improving Employee Treatment
Emphasis on Preventing Recurrence of Electric Vehicle Battery and ESS Fire Accidents

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Kim Jong-hyun, President of LG Energy Solution, announced that this year he will not compromise on 'safety' and 'trust' across all business sectors. This statement is interpreted as a commitment to avoid controversies related to product safety issues following a series of electric vehicle battery and energy storage system (ESS) fire incidents last year.

In his New Year's address on the 4th, President Kim said, "Even if we have to sacrifice performance in quality, we will never compromise on 'safety and reliability'." LG Energy Solution is a newly established company formed in December last year by the physical division of LG Chem's battery business unit.

President Kim stated, "To gain infinite trust from customers in the eco-friendly energy market, all departments must focus their attention and efforts on producing the highest quality in safety and reliability," adding, "We will prioritize quality above all in business and decision-making, and reorganize the work processes of orders, production, and investment."

As part of this effort, President Kim decided to significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Quality Center organization and grant the Quality Center head the highest authority to ensure independent decision-making on quality matters. He also pledged to innovate systems and culture so that quality-related awareness from the field can be conveyed to the president and executives without any alteration of content or delay in communication.

Secondly, President Kim announced his intention to create 'new customer value.'

He emphasized that to win in the fiercely competitive energy sector, it is necessary to build a 'Fandom Customer Group' that passionately supports the company, stating, "Existing lithium-ion batteries must provide high energy density, fast charging, long lifespan, and low-cost solutions through material differentiation and pack design optimization."

He also said, "We will continuously pursue material and process innovations and promote more challenging attempts such as 'Open Innovation' to lead in the commercialization timing and product completeness in the innovative battery field compared to competitors."

Additionally, he mentioned, "We will actively explore and prepare to commercialize the 'Battery as a Service' model, which utilizes accumulated battery data and vehicle operation data not only for manufacturing but also for certification services needed for battery leasing and reuse."

Finally, he promised to create a company where the world's top talents want to work and can grow.

President Kim said, "We will establish a global HR system that enables the exchange of competitive talents by region, moving away from a domestic and headquarters-centered approach," and added, "Considering the characteristics of our organization with many young employees, we will create a new organizational culture regarding work environment, organizational structure, communication, and working methods."

He continued, "We will greatly expand the discretion of field organization leaders, including rewards, and transition to a field-led HR system," adding, "We will introduce a big data-based evaluation process and ensure that rewards for performance are properly given to motivate employees and enhance their capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.