South Korea to Strengthen Battery Safety Following Samsung Debacle

Samsung’s exploding-battery fiasco last year has prompted the nation of South Korea to strengthen safety requirements for lithium-ion and to conduct inspections of manufacturers.

“We ask that the industry shares the view that making efforts to ensure safety is equally as critical as developing new products through technological innovation,” Vice Minister Jeong Marn-ki said in a statement.

Manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries, which are the go-to batteries for smartphones and other portable devices, will face stricter regulations moving forward, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement.

Samsung last year was forced to recall, and later discontinue, the latest iteration of its flagship smartphone after numerous reports of its batteries exploding. The cause, it was later revealed, was due largely to a subpar manufacturing process and lackluster quality control.

The debacle cost Samsung its top spot in global smartphone marketshare.

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