Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Trade, climate ministries partner to boost EV battery recycling
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By Jhoo Dong-chan
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment signed a memorandum of understanding Friday to align policy on spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries, seeking to bolster national supply chains for critical battery minerals.
The agreement was formalized Friday at the Korea Productivity Center in Seoul, in a ceremony attended by Vice Minister of Industry Moon Shin-hak and First Vice Minister of Energy Kum Han-seung.
Because decommissioned EV batteries retain significant amounts of lithium, nickel and cobalt — minerals essential to battery production—their collection and reuse have evolved from a matter of waste management into a core component of national resource security, officials said.
Under the framework, the two agencies will integrate their respective tracking systems — one overseen by the industry ministry for distribution and reuse, and the other managed by the environment ministry for lifecycle carbon footprinting and recycling — into a unified platform for tracking and trading spent batteries.
The agencies will also harmonize environmental certification for recycled materials with industrial standards for their end use, while updating regulatory frameworks governing battery transport, storage and operational safety.
In addition, the ministries agreed to maintain regional battery collection centers and launch joint research initiatives focused on energy storage systems and material extraction technologies.
A working-level council co-chaired by senior officials from both ministries will oversee execution of the agreement and explore further areas for joint policy.
"Establishing a resilient ecosystem for spent batteries is vital to developing our battery sector into a sustainable future industry," Moon said, calling the partnership a key step toward breaking down interagency silos.
"With the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, creating a closed-loop system for spent batteries is central to building a sustainable circular economy," Kum said, promising close coordination to balance environmental safeguards with industrial competitiveness.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.