South Korea

[소부장 테크페어] 유미코아 “HLM 양극재 준비 완료…차세대 소재도 개발”

ET News | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

At the 2025 Global Materials, Parts and Equipment Tech Fair held on December 10th in Seoul, Umicore outlined its strategy to diversify its cathode material portfolio. The company is set to complete development and establish mass production of high-lithium manganese (HLM) cathode materials by next year, aiming to improve price competitiveness through the use of manganese, a lower-cost element. HLM materials offer higher energy density compared to lithium iron phosphate (LFP), but Umicore plans to avoid competing in the LFP sector, choosing instead to focus on HLM to differentiate itself from Chinese market leaders.

Umicore, a Belgium-based global chemical materials company with a 200-year history, currently operates a cathode material plant in Cheonan, South Korea, and supplies to major domestic battery manufacturers LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On. Traditionally focused on high-nickel, cobalt, manganese (NCM) cathodes, Umicore will expand next year into HLM materials. The company aims to address the current electric vehicle market slowdown by leveraging HLM's cost advantages and intends to boost the energy capacity of mid-nickel cathodes by increasing maximum voltage from about 4.2 V to 4.4 V.

In addition to HLM, Umicore is developing cathode materials targeted at next-generation solid-state batteries, which provide higher energy density and improved safety by using solid electrolytes. The company is working on new cathode coating technologies to enhance compatibility and electron transport with solid electrolytes, collaborating with research institutes and partners in these efforts.

Umicore is also researching disordered rock salt (DRX) cathode materials for the post-2035 period. These next-generation materials incorporate elements such as lithium, manganese, titanium, zirconium, and molybdenum and are aimed at delivering cost advantages. The company is in the early stages of this R&D but plans to build a comprehensive cathode material portfolio to serve a range of electric vehicle segments from low- to premium-priced models.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC | English | AcademicThink | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has amended its Consumer Protection Guidelines in Electronic Commerce Transactions, effective October 24, 2025. The amendments establish detailed standards and recommendations concerning regulations on six types of online dark patterns under the Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce. These include hidden renewal, drip pricing, pre-selected options, false hierarchy structures, obstructing cancellation or withdrawal, and nagging.

The amended Guidelines clarify that businesses must obtain explicit consumer consent at least 30 days prior to increasing recurring payments or converting free trials to paid services. They define the initial price display page and the total mandatory price, which must include all compulsory fees but exclude optional or circumstance-specific costs. The Guidelines provide concrete examples of prohibited practices relating to pre-selected options, false hierarchy, obstructing cancellation, and nagging to enhance clarity and market predictability.

Recommendations within the Guidelines advise businesses to clearly disclose pricing conditions, notify consumers of possible additional charges from optional selections, ensure consumers can decline these options, and prominently display cancellation or withdrawal buttons. These changes signal the KFTC's intent to strengthen enforcement against dark patterns, urging businesses to review and comply with the updated regulations to avoid violations.

"내년 매출에 직격", IT총판들 긴장 이유는?…HPE·아루바·주니퍼, 단일 총판 체계 변경

Digital Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Supply Chain Issues

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) plans to consolidate its domestic distribution network for Aruba, Juniper Networks, and HPE servers into a single integrated distributor system starting early next year. Presently, these product lines are managed by separate distributors, but HPE aims to reduce over ten distributors down to approximately 2–4 companies. The process involves a Request for Information (RFI) beginning in January 2026, with final distributor selections expected by April 2026.

This integration is driven by HPE’s global policy to limit the number of distributors per region and reflects the strategic alignment of its expanded network portfolio following acquisitions of Aruba and Juniper. By combining wireless networking strengths from Aruba and wired/data center capabilities of Juniper, HPE intends to offer unified proposals and support for AI-based network operations and edge-cloud environments. The restructuring is expected to significantly impact the distributor ecosystem, intensifying competition as distributors with varying portfolios vie for inclusion.

Industry groups like ITCEN and SNet, which currently handle multiple product lines, are viewed as having an advantage due to their broad portfolios, as HPE is likely to consider past performance and product experience in its evaluations. While the primary focus is on an integrated distribution framework, there is some indication that certain single-product-line distributors might be allowed to continue under exceptional circumstances, aligning with the broader network portfolio reorganization emphasizing AI-driven network competitiveness.