1. Current Issues in Domestic End-of-Life Battery Management from the Supply Chain Perspective
1.1 The Necessity of Securing the Battery Supply Chain
With the rapid growth of the battery market, countries around the world, including South Korea, have been developing policies to secure the supply of battery raw materials, especially rare metals such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese. South Korea holds a significant share in the global battery market, but given its limited natural resources, it is crucial for South Korea to mitigate industrial risks, such as fluctuations in non-ferrous metal prices, and align with global policies mandating the use of recycled materials by sourcing recycled raw materials from end-of-life batteries.
1.2 Current Issues in South Korea’s End-of-Life Battery Management
South Korea has recently amended relevant laws and established various policies for recycling and promoting the circular use of end-of-life batteries. However, most of these policies focus on battery electric vehicles (BEVs), leading to gaps in management. Moreover, unlike the well-established battery manufacturing and development industries, the industry for recycling and reusing end-of-life batteries is still in its formative stages, requiring improvements in legislation and institutional frameworks. Therefore, to respond to global supply chain policies and strengthen environmental regulations for battery products, as well as to ensure a stable battery supply chain and achieve carbo ...