Dr. Bae Jeong-hyo of the Smart Grid Research Division at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) was recognized for his contribution to the revision of export and import regulations for used electric vehicle batteries.

The Korea Electric Research Institute announced on the 17th that Dr. Bae Jeong-hyo of the Smart Grid Research Division received a commendation from the Head of the Busan Customs Office for his contribution in preparing a draft amendment to the Customs Act regarding the import and export of used electric vehicle batteries.

According to SNE Research, a market research firm specializing in energy, the global battery recycling market is expected to surpass $200 billion (approximately 260 trillion won) by 2040.

On the other hand, institutional support in Korea regarding this is still inadequate. In particular, there are no customs law regulations regarding the import and export of used batteries and their applications.

Accordingly, Dr. Bae Jeong-hyo of KERI, who was researching applications of used electric vehicle batteries, set out to amend the Customs Act regarding the import and export of used batteries together with the Customs Clearance Support Division of Changwon Customs, which is under the Busan Headquarters Customs Office.

We established standards for battery products and reviewed the wording of the FTAs that Korea has concluded with various countries around the world, improving the laws and regulations to align with them.

A draft of the amendment has been prepared, and after undergoing repeated revisions through public hearings, the revised bill is expected to be announced as early as this year.

If the legal vacuum is filled through this, it is expected that the import and export of used batteries and the e-mobility industry will be revitalized, leading to various ripple effects such as the resolution of rare metal supply issues, the stabilization of new battery prices, and the reduction of industrial waste.

Dr. Bae Jeong-hyo of KERI, who received the award, stated, “As global electric vehicle sales are rapidly increasing and the used battery market is garnering significant attention, this industry is a crucial growth sector where South Korea must secure a technological lead.” He added, “The establishment of customs laws regarding used batteries will enable domestic companies to conduct business within a stable regulatory environment.”

Meanwhile, KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Science and Technology Research Council of the Ministry of Science and ICT.