| Interview with Kim Su-jin, CEO of Remplir

[Remplir CEO Kim Su-jin]

“Battery sovereignty ultimately comes down to protecting technology.”

Kim Su-jin, CEO of Remplir Co., Ltd. (pictured), is an expert who has long researched battery materials and energy storage technology. The biggest challenge she observed in the field was the domestic industrial structure, which relied on overseas sources for core materials and products despite possessing superior battery technology. She embarked on founding the company with the belief that to perfect battery technology, an ecosystem must be established to secure everything from materials to products domestically.

In the early stages of the startup, establishing a production base was the biggest challenge. This is because batteries require not only technological prowess but also large-scale facilities and quality certifications to gain market trust. Remplir invested in building production facilities alongside R&D and focused on the commercialization of technology, achieving the milestones of obtaining the nation's first Korean Certification (KC) for Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries and establishing a mass production system.

CEO Kim assessed that the global battery market is recently shifting from a competition over "who produces more" to a competition over "who can supply reliably." As the restructuring of supply chains centered on the U.S. and Europe accelerates, the role of domestic technology is expected to become even more critical.

He stated, “Battery sovereignty does not begin merely with manufacturing products, but with protecting core technologies and supply chains on our own,” adding, “We will leverage Daegu as a base to enhance the competitiveness of domestic battery technology and grow into a company recognized in the global market.”

Reporter Jang Young-hoon jang@donga.com