Korean Auto Mobility Alliance Hosts Seminar to Tackle EU Supply Chain Rules
SEOUL, South Korea – The Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association (KAIA) convened a critical seminar on July 9, 2025, at the Auto Industry Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to address the urgent need for a supply chain data platform amid rising EU regulations. The event focused on countering mandates like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Digital Product Passport (DPP), requiring comprehensive data from production to disposal.
Global Regulatory Pressure and ESG Mandates
Shin Ho-jung, Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, emphasized the impact of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). These rules mandate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure across supply chains, a trend expanding to the U.S., China, and Japan. He noted, “Korea’s complex supply chain, especially among smaller firms, lacks unified data management, necessitating a tailored platform.”
Strategy for a Unified Solution
Im Hun-jung from the Korea Automobile Research Institute highlighted the government’s Auto Data Platform project, initiated in 2021, which supports cloud-based data analysis and aligns with Europe’s Catena-X ecosystem since 2024. He advocated, “Adopting Catena-X initially will build expertise for a Korea-specific, globally compatible platform.” Panelists, including Seoul National University’s Lee Jung-jun, urged collaboration to enhance industry resilience against global regulatory shifts.
Industry Call for Action
KAIA Chairman Kang Nam-hoon stressed, “A standardized platform must ease burdens on SMEs while meeting international ESG standards.” This seminar marks a pivotal step toward a sustainable, data-driven Korean auto industry.