SK On President Jidongseop: "The Year to Start Challenging for Global No.1... We Will Make Safe and Economical Batteries"

Jidongseop, President of SK On. Photo by SK On

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Ji Dong-seop, CEO of SK On, expressed his ambition to make this year the first year of challenging for the number one position in the global market.

In an interview released on the SK Innovation press channel on the 20th, CEO Ji said, "Making the safest, most economical, and highest-performing battery may sound like a model answer, but it is not easy without the right technology and organizational capabilities." He added, "SK On achieved a cumulative order of 1600 GWh (gigawatt-hours) by the end of last year, and customers are continuously requesting increased quantities. Being number one in the world is not just a distant dream but a 'prepared future' approaching."

CEO Ji further explained that they will focus on establishing a supply system befitting the status of a global company and securing and nurturing excellent talent. He also added that they will achieve solid financial results and continue to explore global collaboration opportunities. Through this, they plan to enhance execution capabilities to achieve the goal of becoming number one in the world by 2030.

CEO Ji also mentioned three major plans regarding global business operations. SK On will establish a 'Global One Factory.' This means equipping facilities and manufacturing systems so that the same level of products can be consistently produced at factories worldwide. CEO Ji stated that the factories around the world are capable enough to start stable mass production within a year, and based on that experience and know-how, they plan to build additional factories.

SK On will also promote 'Localization.' Regardless of the country where the factory is located, they will continue to maintain a system to train professional personnel so that all processes can be perfectly operated by local staff.

The last of the three major plans is 'Balance.' By investing evenly without concentrating on any one region worldwide and establishing production facilities, they aim to supply high-quality products timely and stably. CEO Ji emphasized, "SK On already has experience in simultaneously constructing multiple overseas factories quickly and stably and successfully operating them," and added, "I am confident that we will establish an optimal production system at new factories as well."

CEO Ji said, "As the energy density of batteries increases, the risk factors for fire also increase, so securing safety will be the biggest differentiator for the future of the battery industry." He added, "With SK's Z-folding technology and excellent quality control system, there has not been a single safety-related issue in vehicles yet, and we have also developed technology to prevent fire spread, aiming for commercialization this year."

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