Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Robots, ESS take center stage at InterBattery 2026
Visitors take photos of the CLOiD humanoid home robot developed by LG Electronics at LG Energy Solution's exhibition booth during the InterBattery 2026 trade show at COEX in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
CEOs of Korea's top 3 battery makers skip annual event
Exhibition halls at the InterBattery 2026 trade show in Seoul were packed Wednesday with visitors from around the world, underscoring continued international interest in Korea’s battery industry despite a lingering slowdown in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
The absence of the industry minister and the CEOs of Korea’s top three battery manufacturers, however, also reflected the ongoing challenges in the sector, which is struggling with both an EV supply glut and dominance of Chinese companies.
Trade, Industry and Resources Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak warned that Korea’s battery industry has only five to seven years left to overcome the current crisis.
“We can strengthen our competitiveness before our European and U.S. rivals secure enough production capacity,” he said in his opening remarks for the three-day event.
Korea Battery Industry Association Chairman and POSCO Future M CEO Eom Gi-chen told reporters that growth in markets for energy storage systems (ESS), humanoid robots and data centers for artificial intelligence (AI) is outpacing the slowdown in global EV demand.
To highlight such emerging applications, the event’s organizer opened a dedicated booth for humanoid robots this year and scheduled a seminar Friday on Korea-United States cooperation in battery technologies for the defense industry.
Korea’s major battery firms also showcased technologies for robots and ESS.
At LG Energy Solution’s booth, the CLOiD humanoid home robot developed by LG Electronics greeted visitors alongside the Carti100 autonomous mobile robot (AMR) made by Bear Robotics, an LG Electronics subsidiary.
The company also displayed its JF2 DC LINK 5.0 system to promote its use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the system, which it touts as optimized for Korea’s energy infrastructure and regulations.
Visitors learn about Samsung SDI's all-solid-state battery for physical artificial intelligence at the company's exhibition booth during the InterBattery 2026 trade show at COEX in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
Samsung SDI exhibited a humanoid robot, unveiling a sample of its all-solid-state battery pouch, now under development for physical AI applications and scheduled for mass production in the second half of next year.
The company also showcased the full lineup of its Samsung Battery Box, allowing visitors to explore its ESS technologies and safety features.
SK On displayed Hyundai WIA’s AMR, equipped with its high‑nickel ternary batteries and deployed at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia.
The company also presented its LFP battery pouch for ESS and a containerized ESS direct‑current block featuring electrolyte impedance spectroscopy technology for proactive safety management.
A four-legged robot performing high-risk tasks at POSCO's steel mills is displayed at POSCO Future M's exhibition booth during the InterBattery 2026 trade show at COEX in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
Among battery materials producers, POSCO Future M demonstrated potential uses of its cathode and anode materials in humanoid robots, showcasing a four-legged robot already performing high-risk tasks at POSCO’s steel mills.
The company said several battery makers are using its cathode materials to develop batteries designed for humanoid robots.