An Investor Who Sees The Future

Professor Kim Ho-min, a leading figure in the Chemistry Department.

He graduated from Korea University and then moved to the U.S. to earn his Ph.D. from MIT. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship, he returned to Korea University and was appointed as a tenured professor.

He is recognized as a global authority in the field of batteries, not just in South Korea, and he continues to conduct research and development with the support of the university.

Upon meeting him, I found he looked much younger than I had expected.

“Hello, Professor. I’m….”

Professor Kim Ho-min smiled as he looked at me.

“I heard about you from Professor Kim Myoung-jun. You must be that Kang Jin-hoo everyone’s talking about?”

“That’s correct.”

“Do you like coffee?”

“Yes.”

Professor Kim Ho-min held up a pack of Maxim coffee mix.

“What do you think of this?”

“Maxim is the best coffee.”

“Just sit for a moment.”

I cleared some books that were sprawled across the sofa and sat down. Professor Kim Ho-min boiled water in an electric kettle and prepared a cup of coffee mix in a paper cup.

“Thank you.”

“Do you know who first created coffee mix?”

“That would be Dongseo Food.”

“That’s right. This is truly an invention of the century.”

Professor Kim Ho-min pointed to the blackboard.

“What do you think is written on the blackboard?”

“Ah, I’m from the humanities.”

I guess that’s when the phrase ‘I’m sorry for being artsy’ would be used?

Professor Kim Ho-min smiled upon seeing my expression.

“This is a battery chemical formula that I’ve written down whenever it came to mind; I don’t really understand it myself. I just didn’t want to erase it. By the way, what do you want to see me about?”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on batteries and electric vehicles.”

Professor Kim readily replied, “Coffee varieties can be broadly divided into two. Do you know what they are?”

I nodded.

“Robusta and Arabica.”

Professor Kim nodded in agreement.

“Similarly, lithium-ion batteries can also be divided into two main types.”

I recalled what I had read in papers.

“NCM and LFP, right?”

“That’s right.”

NCM, commonly known as a ternary battery, is made from nickel, manganese, and cobalt compounds as cathode materials. In contrast, LFP utilizes lithium iron phosphate.

“Do you know what a trade-off means?”

I nodded again.

“It’s an economic term.”

The government has to execute the goals of economic growth and price stability. However, when the economy grows, prices rise, and stabilizing prices will slow down economic growth.

Ultimately, if the two goals cannot coexist, one must be sacrificed or a compromise must be found.

“We use the term too. Lithium-ion batteries are a perfect example. Increasing capacity decreases safety, and increasing safety means reducing capacity. NCM is the former, while LFP is the latter. When the properties of a trade-off conflict and one cannot abandon either side, it must be overcome with technological prowess.”

“…….”

It’s already hard to understand what he means.

Was this what Taek-gyu felt when I rambled on about economics and management?

“Do you remember the L6 battery explosion incident?”

“Yes.”

Professor Kim Ho-min suddenly burst into laughter.

“Haha, well, of course you know about it. You’re famous for making a lot of money off that. As you probably know, the explosion of the L6 battery happened because the separator inside the cell was damaged. The reason was that the capacity was increased excessively in a limited space. As this case shows, increasing capacity while ensuring safety is a very difficult task.”

As a result, Seosung Electronics subtly reduced battery capacity in smartphones released after the L6 incident. They aimed to prevent similar disasters, even if it meant lowering performance.

“Most electronic devices use ternary batteries. Electric vehicles are the same. Only China really uses LFP.”

Japan’s Technics and Korea’s Seosung SB and CL Chemical all produce NCM. In contrast, Chinese battery companies, including BID, primarily produce LFP.

“China is the largest producer and consumer of batteries.”

Having entered industrialization late, China is a latecomer in the existing automotive market. Therefore, they are determined to gain leadership in the next-generation automotive market.

The Chinese government actively promoted the spread of electric vehicles by providing subsidies and various benefits.

This was also influenced by the serious air pollution in major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai. People often misunderstand that the Chinese government does not care about air pollution, but in reality, it’s a matter that the regime is deeply invested in.

Most senior members of the Communist Party and conglomerates live in large cities. If food or drinks are contaminated, they can switch to organic products or imports, but they can’t change the air. They also can’t carry oxygen tanks every time they go outside.

They can’t stop factory operations either, so they think increasing eco-friendly cars is a way to at least reduce vehicle emissions.

Chinese companies’ battery technologies lag behind those of developed countries. Hence, they focused on producing LFP rather than NCM, with government subsidies targeting locally produced LFP (officially citing safety issues, which is why Seosung SB and CL Chemical batteries were excluded from subsidy eligibility in China).

“Currently, Chinese firms are also trending toward NCM. While increasing LFP capacity is impossible, improving the safety of NCM is feasible.”

“I see.”

I didn’t ask why. It was clear I wouldn’t understand.

Instead, I asked another question.

“So, what do you think about the future of electric vehicles?”

“Energy is lost at each stage. Theoretically, electric vehicles (EVs) are less efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs). ICEs combust fossil fuels to directly drive the engine, while EVs convert fossil fuels into electricity to charge batteries and then use that electricity to power motors. But in the end, EVs prove to be more efficient.”

This is due to energy efficiency.

The energy efficiency of ICEs is about 20%. Only 20% of the energy produced from burning gasoline is used to move the vehicle, with the rest wasted as heat energy. In contrast, EVs achieve an energy efficiency of over 80%. Thus, even with extra steps, EVs consume less energy.

Professor Kim Ho-min sipped his coffee and asked, “What was last year’s total car sales?”

“Just under 90 million units.”

“And how about EV sales?”

“About 750,000 units.”

That includes not just pure electric vehicles (EVs) but also plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Professor Kim nodded. “That’s still less than 1% of total sales. They predict it will surpass 1 million units this year, but it’s still negligible. What if all vehicles sold now were EVs?”

“Electricity consumption would skyrocket, so power management would become an issue.”

“That could be addressed by building more power plants or using alternative energy sources. The problem lies in two areas: battery cost and battery efficiency. Could EVs have spread so quickly without smartphones?”

Smartphones triggered the initial supply and demand for batteries. As smartphones consumed more power than feature phones, their rapid adoption led to a significant increase in battery production, causing prices to drop sharply.

Nevertheless, batteries remain expensive enough to require subsidies.

“Innovating manufacturing processes can reduce fixed costs per unit, lowering processing costs, but as production increases, raw material prices may rise.”

Just as the proliferation of automobiles heightened oil demand, the rise of EVs has driven up demand for battery materials. In fact, lithium prices have consistently risen.

The most concerning issue is cobalt.

In a ternary battery, cobalt is an essential material. Half of the world’s reserves are located in Congo, where supply stability is affected by civil war and security issues.

With speculative demand also contributing, international prices have already more than doubled. The cost proportion has increased as well, from less than 8% to over 20% now.

“What if we increase the subsidy for one million cars to ninety million?”

“Before that, the government would go bankrupt.”

“What happens if ninety million electric cars flock to charging stations? It’ll be quite a sight in winter.”

Long lines are already forming at gas stations. However, fast charging for electric vehicles takes over 30 minutes. In winter, when battery efficiency drops significantly, charging stations will become overcrowded.

“So what should we do?”

“It’s simple. We need to reduce costs, increase capacity, and speed up charging.”

“But isn’t that the problem we can’t solve?”

Again, while technology has rapidly advanced, batteries haven’t kept pace.

The improvements seen are partly due to enhanced power efficiency in electronic components like semiconductors.

Professor Kim Ho-min smiled wryly.

“That’s why we’re working hard on R&D. We’re trying to minimize the use of expensive cobalt and rare metals while increasing capacity and ensuring safety. Science may not make the impossible possible, but it can make the possible happen. This is not just an issue for electric cars; it’s a core technology for the future. Smartphones, laptops, tablets, wearable devices, drones, electric vehicles, implantable medical devices, and more. If we can’t solve this problem, technological development in other fields will face limits.”

Initially, I only had a vague idea, but as we talked, I became convinced.

This person is the right fit.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

I put down my empty paper cup.

“I was thinking of establishing a battery R&D institute at OTK Company, and I’m curious if you’d consider taking the lead as the director.”

“……Hmm?”

Professor Kim Ho-min, momentarily taken aback, burst into laughter.

“Haha, are you saying you want to hire me?”

“More accurately, it’s to invite you to join us.”

“If I go to the research institute, I’ll have to give up my professorship.”

“I assure you that we will provide an even greater level of support, not just for you but for all the researchers working with you.”

As a tenured professor at Korea University, Professor Kim has guaranteed stability and prestige throughout his life. However, that security is not the case for other researchers.

Even master’s and doctoral degree holders often struggle with financial issues and job insecurity. If research stops, they become unemployed almost immediately.

Great achievements do not come from one person’s efforts alone; they need the support of those working beneath them.

I decided to start persuading him in earnest.

“In Korea, both universities and companies expect results within one or two years. If results are not produced within that timeframe, funding gets cut.”

Professor Kim’s research team had produced no results for several years. In fact, rumors about funding being withdrawn were starting to circulate.

“If you take charge of the research institute, I will ensure you have an environment where you can research freely, whether for ten years or twenty.”

While I say that, I truly have no intention of waiting that long.

Professor Kim would develop next-generation batteries and win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This implies that he would achieve something remarkably scientific enough to earn such an award.

So, when would he achieve such feats, and when would he receive the Nobel Prize?

I don’t think it will take too long.

Solving battery issues is a pressing challenge for the industry, and all companies are actively engaging in research and development. Hence, it is highly likely that solutions will emerge soon, and Professor Kim is in the best position to provide those solutions. (If someone else solves it first, that person will receive the Nobel Prize.)

Some might think he’s too young to win a Nobel Prize, but in the fields of science and engineering, significant achievements often come at a young age.

Einstein discovered the theory of relativity in his twenties, and Stephen Hawking gained worldwide fame as a physicist starting in his thirties.

Professor Kim Ho-min scratched his head.

“Can you really continue to support research and development?”

“Of course.”

Lately, money had been tight, but fortunately, the success of Lost Fantasy M provided some relief. Even distributing just a portion next quarter could secure tens of millions of dollars in cash.

I planned to invest all that money directly into establishing a research institute.

Looking at his expression, it seemed I had piqued his interest a bit. It was the right moment to seal the deal.

Instead of sweet-talking, I brought up something realistic.

“If you join me, I promise you’ll make a lot of money.”

His surprise told me my statement was unexpected.

“Money?”

“As you know, I’m a business major and don’t know much about chemistry or battery principles. However, I understand that if we succeed in development, the companies that produce the product will earn a fortune. And those investing in it will also make big bucks. There are countless wealthy entrepreneurs and financiers. But what about the scientists, developers, and researchers who create it? How many of them actually become rich?”

Researchers affiliated with companies or universities often end up with a promotion or a meager bonus, even after successful developments. Conversely, when they fail, they’re treated poorly or even fired.

“I will give you a 30% stake in the institute. All patents and technologies developed will belong to the institute, along with all resulting profits.”

Professor Kim looked caught off guard.

“I never expected to receive such an offer from a student at Korea University.”

“If Thomas Edison hadn’t founded General Electric, would he have become rich? Meanwhile, Nikola Tesla, who invented numerous things under Edison, lost all his patents and died in poverty.”

I looked directly at Professor Kim.

“Wouldn’t it be better to be an Edison than a Tesla?”