South Korea faces EV battery recovery and data center power delays

South Korea is facing challenges in managing electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling and data center power infrastructure. Data from the Ministry of Environment shows that the cumulative recovery rate for EV batteries that are legally required to be returned to the government stands at 65.9%. Between 2021 and August 2024, out of 6,775 decommissioned EVs subject to mandatory battery return, only 4,470 batteries were recovered, leaving the whereabouts of 2,305 batteries unknown.

Simultaneously, delays in power supply reviews for data centers are impacting industrial planning. According to data from the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), 37% of power supply reviews for data centers took longer than six months. Some cases have been pending for over two years. There is also a significant concentration of data center power applications in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon metropolitan areas, which accounted for 80.4% of applications in 2025.

Lawmakers have warned that without effective management of waste batteries and faster, more predictable power supply processes, South Korea faces potential environmental issues and industrial losses, particularly in the competitive AI sector.