Battery dispute may bring SK and LG leaders together

SK Innovation has proposed a meeting between group chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo to settle the ongoing legal battle over electric vehicle (EV) battery patents. In response, LG said that it is the matter that should be settled by CEOs of the related firms, not chairmen.

“We are ready to have a meeting of top executives who have decision-making power to settle this issue,” a senior SK official said. “It could be between LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-cheol and SK Innovation CEO Kim Jun. Our chairman Chey wouldn’t mind meeting Chairman Koo to put an end to this issue.” The official said that this proposal for a high-level dialogue did not mean SK had a weak case against LG. “They just wouldn’t listen and talk to us,” he said.

He said it was really regretful for two leading firms of the country to fight on the international stage.

“We want to find out who’s wrong through discussion and if we are found to be wrong, we would apologize and compensate as demanded, but as far as we are concerned we have not done anything wrong,” he said.

His remarks came shortly after LG Chem said in a statement that SK had not directly asked for dialogue.

LG Chem stated that SK had “stolen” more than 100 key personnel over the past two years through head hunters and the network of former LG employees to develop rechargeable batteries.

LG Chem filed a complaint against SK at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and filed a lawsuit in a Delaware, U.S. court. ITC started its probe on May 30 and make a preliminary finding by June and final finding by October. LG is seeking to have an export ban on SK products on top of compensation.

In return, SK said that it is planning to file a countersuit against LG Chem and LG Chem Michigan in the USITC and a Delaware court for patent infringement.