Why Seoul matters
Hyundai-Kia and LG Energy Solution corporate offices. Active names in and around the city include Hyundai, Kia, LG Energy Solution.
OEM head offices and engineering centres produce prototype and validation packs, recall and warranty returns routed through central teams, and programme fleet retirements. Volumes are lumpy but the packs are often high-value and come with full engineering data.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving site | Ulsan — Korea Recovery Campus (Integrated Recovery Campus) |
| Pickup SLA | 24 hours |
| Coverage radius | 93 km |
| Collection cadence | Called off against a framework agreement |
| Regulatory framework | Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles |
How collection works here
We work under a framework take-back agreement with the OEM's central sustainability or aftersales team, covering pricing methodology, EPR certificate transfer and confidential handling of prototype hardware, including destruction certificates where required.
Loads move in Class 9 compliant transport with pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork to Ulsan, South Korea, where they are weighed, logged and graded.
- OEM sustainability and aftersales teams
- Engineering and validation centres
- Programme and demo fleets
- Recall coordination teams
What the rules require in South Korea
South Korea runs a producer responsibility system and has built public collection centres for retired EV batteries. Packs from subsidised EVs registered before 2021 had to be returned to local authorities, and the rules now allow more private-sector reuse and recycling. Battery makers and recyclers are investing heavily in closed-loop material recovery.
Transport follows national dangerous goods rules, with lithium-ion batteries packaged under UN 3480 / UN 3481.
- Route retired packs through registered collection centres or licensed recyclers
- Carry out performance checks before any reuse
- Keep transfer and treatment records for ministry reporting
- Follow Basel implementation rules for imports and exports
Field note
What you get paid and what you file
Settlement is quoted per pack after measured state of health, not by guesswork on age. Modules holding 75% or more of rated capacity settle at second-life rates; the remainder settle against black mass metal content.
Certificates carry achieved recovery percentages and downstream vendor disclosure for reporting under Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles.