Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Samsung SDI forecasts earnings turnaround this year, urges AI-driven transformation
Samsung SDI CEO Choi Joo-sun
By Lee Gyu-lee
Samsung SDI expects to return to profit this year after spending the past year strengthening its business fundamentals, CEO Choi Joo-sun said Wednesday as the battery maker marked its 56th anniversary.
Speaking at a commemorative ceremony at the company's headquarters in Giheung, Gyeonggi Province, Choi said the company had laid the foundation for renewed growth despite a challenging business environment.
"Over the past year, we have steadily strengthened the fundamentals of our business with a mindset of 'pessimistic optimism,' laying the groundwork for a renewed leap forward," Choi said. "As promised earlier this year, we expect an earnings turnaround to be achievable this year."
The comments come as Samsung SDI seeks to recover from slowing global electric vehicle demand and intensifying competition in the battery industry.
Choi highlighted several achievements across the company's businesses, including securing a series of energy storage system projects, signing supply agreements with global premium automakers, restoring the competitiveness of its cylindrical battery business and expanding into high-value materials businesses such as advanced packaging semiconductor materials and high-definition, high-efficiency display materials.
Despite the progress, he stressed that sustained execution would be crucial to translating those achievements into long-term growth.
"There is still a long way to go," Choi said.
The CEO also called on employees to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) more actively, describing AI as the next major driver of corporate competitiveness.
"AI is already embedded in many aspects of our daily lives," he said. "To secure a leading position in future markets, Samsung SDI must fully transform itself into a true AI-native company."
He described agentic AI as a paradigm shift that will fundamentally reshape how companies work and develop business models.
"By boldly riding this wave of change, we can once again become a company with top-tier technological capabilities," Choi said.
The anniversary ceremony was attended by senior executives, including Choi, as well as recipients of the company's SDI Awards and employees recognized for long service. The event included an awards presentation and a town hall meeting.