The Korea Battery Industry Association said on Tuesday it held a 2026 board meeting and general assembly at the Marriott Hotel in Seoul and appointed POSCO Future M CEO Eom Gi-cheon (엄기천) as its ninth chairman. Eom will lead the association for the next 2 years.

In an inaugural message sent to member companies, Eom said, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for taking on an important role at a major turning point for the battery industry." He stressed, "Our battery industry must now evolve beyond a cell-centered growth stage into an organic and highly complete value chain that encompasses materials, components and equipment, and this is a demand of the times for a renewed leap forward for South Korea's battery industry." He added, "I will create a turning point for the battery industry to leap again by expanding battery applications beyond electric vehicles to future strategic industries overall, including energy storage systems (ESS), robots, drones and defense."

He also presented four key tasks to 추진 during his term. He said the association will strengthen a supply chain ecosystem centered on materials, components and equipment to secure global competitiveness, and reinforce economic security by improving supply chain competitiveness through measures such as localising and diversifying core mineral materials. He also said he will focus all capabilities on establishing a culture of mutually beneficial cooperation based on trust between cell and materials companies, while securing fundamental strength to bolster future competitiveness through next-generation technologies and AI-based manufacturing innovation.

Eom said, "I will always listen to the voices of member companies and be a reliable partner that 고민 with the field and aligns direction together." He added, "The association will play a central role for the industry so that our sector can unite under the name K-battery and solidify a firm standing in the global market."

At the general assembly, the association also newly appointed Vitzrocell, a leading company in secondary batteries and specialised batteries, as a vice chair company, and JR Energy Solution, a battery foundry company, as a director company, expanding the executive group to 25 companies. The association's executive group is made up of 27 members in total: 1 chair company, 14 vice chair companies, 8 director companies, 1 auditor company and 2 full-time executives.