Communicating the future of battery innovation: an interview with Choi Ki-bong

EVs are increasingly becoming an important part of the global transition to net-zero, and public understanding of battery technology has become just as important as technological innovation itself. Beyond developing safer and more sustainable batteries, companies must also communicate their environmental impact transparently while addressing public concerns about safety, affordability, and sustainability. In this interview, Choi Ki-bong, PR Team Leader at SK On, shared how strategic communication supports the battery industry's role in decarbonization and the importance of transparent ESG messaging.

First, please tell us about your current job.

I’m currently the head of the PR team at SK On, a battery company. I’ve been working in PR since I joined the company in 2009, so I’ve been in this role for about 13 years now, starting in 2014. PR is broadly divided into two areas: first, sharing the company’s good news, strengths, and the values it wants to convey through the media, social media, and exhibitions.

So, I interact with journalists to highlight our company’s strengths through media relations, and I also use content on platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn to showcase our company’s advantages. Finally, I participate in trade shows—such as CES and domestic events like InterBattery—to communicate our company’s value to attendees.

Additionally, when the company faces a crisis—for example, if someone is injured or killed at a factory, or if the company’s performance is poor—I work to defend the company’s reputation and standing. In most of those cases, I communicate through the media to explain what the company is currently doing to resolve the issue and what the current situation is.

It seems you handle a wide range of responsibilities. Since you work for a battery company—and batteries are, after all, a core technology for carbon neutrality—what do you think is the most important way SK On’s batteries contribute to carbon reduction?

First of all, SK On ranks among the top ten battery companies globally. In South Korea, one out of every two electric vehicles currently on the road is equipped with an SK On battery. The reason for this is that about half of the company’s revenue comes from Hyundai Motor and Kia, and these two automakers hold over 90% of the electric vehicle market share in South Korea. For example, vehicles like the Ioniq 5 and EV6—which many of us have ridden in as taxis—as well as Hyundai’s premium Ioniq EV lineup, and all Genesis models such as the G80, GV60, GV70, and the Porter—all of these electric vehicles are equipped exclusively with SK On batteries.

It’s often said that a single electric vehicle reduces carbon emissions by 2 metric tons over the course of a year. Also, a single very large pine tree—about 30 years old—absorbs roughly 6 kg of carbon dioxide. So, based on a simple calculation, if you have more than 300 such pine trees—which would be about 300 pyeong of densely planted trees, forming a small forest—that’s a very significant amount of carbon emissions that a single electric vehicle can offset.

You mentioned earlier that about one out of every two EVs are run on SK On's batteries—that seems like a very significant figure. Do you think SK On has some unique selling point or special technological capabilities that’s driving such widespread adoption of these products?

First of all, as we saw in the Cheongna fire incident, electric vehicles are difficult to extinguish once a fire starts, so it’s essential that fires don’t break out in the first place. This is because lithium-ion batteries tend to burn intensely once ignited, so SK On batteries have an image of being safe above all else. As a result, various leading global brands—including Hyundai-Kia, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and Polestar—are now installing SK On batteries in their electric vehicles. In particular, in the case of ETON, which has been in the battery business for nearly 20 years, there have been no large-scale recalls or battery fires that have caused social problems.

In contrast to that technical capability, looking ahead, what do you think are the most pressing challenges or difficult issues the battery industry needs to address in order to contribute more to carbon neutrality?

There are two main areas to consider. First, while electric vehicles themselves emit significantly fewer carbon emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles, they currently rely on lithium-ion batteries. The cathode of these batteries is primarily composed of lithium and cobalt; lithium and cobalt—especially cobalt—are largely produced in the Congo region of Africa, and the production process is known to cause significant environmental pollution. Additionally, the anode of lithium-ion batteries contains a carbon-based anode material derived from coal, and coal contains graphite. Because it’s graphite, the manufacturing process—much like coal mining—also causes significant environmental pollution. To address these issues, companies are actively conducting R&D to develop batteries using sodium or vanadium, or other chemicals commonly found in our surroundings—materials other than lithium-ion.

There are likely to be limitations in this area, and the biggest reason people are hesitant to switch to electric vehicles right now is that batteries account for about 40% of the vehicle’s price; for a vehicle of the same size, they cost about 10 million won more than a typical internal combustion engine vehicle. So, if battery prices can be lowered through R&D or by expanding adoption to achieve economies of scale, more people will likely drive electric vehicles. In South Korea, the adoption rate of electric vehicles is still in the 10% range, whereas in Norway, it’s nearly 90% for new cars. China has also surpassed 50%. I believe that if South Korea can boost the adoption of electric vehicles, we can contribute more to reducing environmental pollution and carbon emissions.

Batteries can feel like a product that’s a bit difficult for the average consumer to grasp directly. Since you’re on the PR team—and you mentioned the exhibition earlier—how are you working to communicate the technology and value of these batteries in a way that’s both easy and effective?

Twenty or thirty years ago, many people formed their perceptions of a company’s value and its products through newspaper articles. But these days, the number of people experiencing content through social media or exhibitions is actually growing faster than the number of people reading newspaper articles. So, by sharing videos on YouTube that highlight our company’s strengths or introduce the battery manufacturing process, we think we can help people feel more familiar with batteries—specifically, electric vehicle batteries.

Also, recently, at events like the international book fair—where tickets are practically sold out—people are showing a lot of interest in offline exhibitions. So, by actively participating in domestic and international exhibitions, we plan to work hard to convey details such as how batteries are installed in the electric taxis people ride in, or the principles behind how they operate.

When communicating this kind of information, many companies are actively promoting their ESG activities, but concerns about “greenwashing” still seem significant. In this regard, are there any specific principles you adhere to in order to credibly convey your ESG performance and eco-friendly initiatives?

First of all, while our company isn’t a publicly traded company, we communicate with stakeholders by publishing an ESG report through our parent company, SK Innovation, and our own website. Furthermore, we’re currently conducting very proactive internal training on greenwashing and providing clear guidelines. Rather than using vague language, we communicate to shareholders, the media, and other stakeholders who take a keen interest in our company—based on quantitatively measured and analyzed data—exactly how much our products can reduce oxygen consumption and how they contribute to the environment.

Finally, as you mentioned earlier, environmental pollution in the battery production process seems to be a growing concern. In your view, are there any eco-friendly initiatives that you think we should prioritize and focus on more in the near future?

In Europe, for example, there is a system called the “carbon footprint” that tracks how much carbon is emitted from the moment a product is manufactured until it is disposed of. This information is communicated to consumers, and the system is being institutionalized to encourage more eco-friendly consumption. If we want to sell electric vehicles in Europe, we must comply with these regulations. The industry anticipates that these advanced practices from Europe will spread to other regions, such as the United States and Asia. Therefore, first and foremost, we need to build the capacity to produce our products—from raw materials to the final product—in an eco-friendly manner that aligns with the environmental guidelines of each country.

Furthermore, in addition to lithium-ion batteries, I hope we can develop technologies to produce more eco-friendly batteries—such as various sodium batteries or vanadium batteries—faster than China or Japan, so that our company, along with the other two major South Korean battery manufacturers, can lead the market.