<Anchor>



There was literally a riot because of the number of factors that were unfamiliar to those who drove diesel cars. However, it is not just the number of factors that are overly dependent on one country in China. Key raw materials, such as raw materials for batteries, were in a similar situation, making it an emergency to secure additional supply chains.



Reporter Han Sang-woo on the sidewalk.



<Reporter>



Reliance on imports of lithium hydroxide, a key raw material for electric vehicle batteries, from China is 83.5%, and cobalt sulfate is 81.5%.



95% of tungsten oxide, which is essential for the production of aluminum alloys to make vehicles and aircraft lighter, is imported from China.



Items that depend on China for more than 80% in this way account for 14.7% of all imported items in Korea.



It is a situation that arises only from profitability, but the urea water crisis showed that more supply chain management is needed to secure stable parts and raw materials.



[Kim Hyung-ryeol / Head of Research Center at Kyobo Securities: It is not something to look at by limiting the number of elements, but it is highly likely that you will experience something similar to this many times over a considerable period of time. (Raw material) It can be seen that a response is needed for each situation.]



POSCO is hastening to diversify its supply chain by building a lithium hydroxide production plant in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do and increasing lithium production tenfold at its Argentine plant.



LG Energy Solutions signed a contract with a local company in Australia to purchase nickel and cobalt.



Other companies are also scouring the world for other raw material imports.



Even in this element crisis, LX and Lotte, even the heads of companies, hastily secured supplies in Vietnam, Japan, and Russia.



It is pointed out that large corporations with financial and negotiating power will come up with self-rescue measures, but it is not easy for SMEs to diversify their sources of income, so it is necessary to find a government-level support plan.



(Video editing: Park Ji-in)