South Korea is pushing major materials momentum ahead of 2025 with KRW 3.1 trillion invested in waste heat recovery and industrial energy efficiency in 2023, even as energy costs remain a top concern for 18.6% of material companies. At the same time, the country’s battery materials market is estimated at $22.0 billion and renewable capacity additions are set to reach 45.0 GW by 2030, setting up a clear test of how fast supply, quality, and low carbon demand can keep up.
Key Takeaways
- $9.6 billion 2023 Korea’s specialty chemicals market size (industry estimate)
- $22.0 billion 2023 Korea’s battery materials market size (industry estimate)
- 2.8 million metric tons 2023 Korea production of ethylene (key petrochemical feedstock)
- 8.2% 2023 Korea’s advanced materials R&D expenditure growth (government R&D performance indicator)
- 11.2% 2023 share of Korea’s R&D spending allocated to chemistry/materials-related research (MSIT classification)
- 45.0 GW announced Korea-wide renewable capacity additions by 2030 (influencing low-carbon materials demand)
- 18.6% 2023 share of material companies citing energy costs as top cost driver (survey)
- 1,250 million m³ 2023 Korea natural gas consumption for industry (energy balance)
- -0.7% 2023 Korea’s chemical industry water use per unit of output (intensity improvement)
- 6.3% 2023 rate of industrial accidents in Korea materials/manufacturing sector (fatal + non-fatal rate)
- 19.3% 2023 share of Korea’s industrial water use for chemical manufacturing (water-use sector breakdown)
- 74% 2023 adoption of digital twins among large Korean manufacturing firms (survey, including materials)
- 81% 2023 of Korean industrial sites have implemented ISO 9001 quality management certification (certification statistics)
- 27% 2023 Korea manufacturing firms using robotics in material handling (survey)
- 19.2 GW of renewable capacity added in South Korea between 2020 and 2023 (cumulative additions), supporting long-run demand for power-system materials
Korea’s specialty and battery materials markets are expanding fast alongside higher R and D spending, renewables, and cleaner energy investments.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
$9.6 billion 2023 Korea’s specialty chemicals market size (industry estimate)
02
$22.0 billion 2023 Korea’s battery materials market size (industry estimate)
03
2.8 million metric tons 2023 Korea production of ethylene (key petrochemical feedstock)
04
KRW 186 trillion 2023 Korea domestic sales of chemical products (industry output)
05
4.7 million metric tons 2023 Korea production of synthetic resins (plastics base material)
06
31.6% 2023 Korea’s share of global steelmaking capacity (regional allocation estimate)
07
1.2 million metric tons 2023 Korea production of cement (construction materials linked to downstream)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, Korea’s market size across key materials industries was substantial, totaling from 9.6 billion in specialty chemicals to 22.0 billion in battery materials, with major physical outputs like 4.7 million metric tons of synthetic resins and 2.8 million metric tons of ethylene underscoring a large, diversified demand base that drives the overall market landscape.
02 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
8.2% 2023 Korea’s advanced materials R&D expenditure growth (government R&D performance indicator)
02
11.2% 2023 share of Korea’s R&D spending allocated to chemistry/materials-related research (MSIT classification)
03
45.0 GW announced Korea-wide renewable capacity additions by 2030 (influencing low-carbon materials demand)
04
$6.1 billion 2023 green hydrogen investment in South Korea (policy-driven)
05
6.8% 2023 Korea’s materials sector contribution to manufacturing employment growth (labour statistics)
06
31.4% 2023 Korea share of renewable energy in total generation (affects low-carbon materials demand)
07
KRW 3.1 trillion 2023 Korea government subsidy for battery materials/EV supply chain projects (budget execution)
08
4,500 2023 Korea’s advanced materials patents filed (KIPRIS filings count for relevant CPC)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Korea’s “Industry Trends” signal is a clear acceleration in innovation and low carbon demand, with advanced materials R&D growing 8.2% in 2023 and renewable capacity additions of 45.0 GW by 2030 alongside a KRW 3.1 trillion government subsidy for battery materials and EV supply chain projects.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
18.6% 2023 share of material companies citing energy costs as top cost driver (survey)
02
1,250 million m³ 2023 Korea natural gas consumption for industry (energy balance)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In Korea’s materials industry, energy costs are a major cost pressure with 18.6% of material companies in 2023 naming them as the top cost driver, which aligns with the large 1,250 million m³ of natural gas consumed by industry the same year.
04 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
-0.7% 2023 Korea’s chemical industry water use per unit of output (intensity improvement)
02
6.3% 2023 rate of industrial accidents in Korea materials/manufacturing sector (fatal + non-fatal rate)
03
19.3% 2023 share of Korea’s industrial water use for chemical manufacturing (water-use sector breakdown)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In the Korea Materials performance metrics, water intensity in chemicals improved by 0.7% in 2023 while industrial accidents rose, with the fatal plus non-fatal accident rate up 6.3%, showing that environmental efficiency gains are happening alongside worsening safety performance.
More related reading
05 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
74% 2023 adoption of digital twins among large Korean manufacturing firms (survey, including materials)
02
81% 2023 of Korean industrial sites have implemented ISO 9001 quality management certification (certification statistics)
03
27% 2023 Korea manufacturing firms using robotics in material handling (survey)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption of digital and advanced manufacturing capabilities, Korean industry shows strong uptake with 74% of large manufacturing firms adopting digital twins in 2023 and 81% of industrial sites holding ISO 9001 certification, while robotics in material handling remains lower at 27%.
06 · Category
Decarbonization1 stats
01
19.2 GW of renewable capacity added in South Korea between 2020 and 2023 (cumulative additions), supporting long-run demand for power-system materials
Interpretation
Decarbonization Interpretation
With 19.2 GW of renewable capacity added cumulatively in South Korea from 2020 to 2023, the country’s clear decarbonization push is steadily expanding demand for power-system materials that enable lower carbon electricity.
07 · Category
Operational Performance1 stats
01
38% reduction in average lead time for procurement of critical chemicals in large Korean chemical producers between 2020 and 2022, reflecting supply-chain process improvements
Interpretation
Operational Performance Interpretation
The 38% reduction in average procurement lead time for critical chemicals from 2020 to 2022 shows clear operational performance gains in large Korean chemical producers, driven by improved supply chain processes.
08 · Category
Investment & Funding1 stats
01
KRW 2.3 trillion investment in waste heat recovery and industrial energy-efficiency projects in 2023, enabling reduced energy intensity in high-heat materials sectors
Interpretation
Investment & Funding Interpretation
In 2023, Korea’s KRW 2.3 trillion investment in waste heat recovery and industrial energy efficiency projects shows strong funding momentum for cutting energy intensity in high-heat materials sectors.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Korea Materials Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-materials-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Korea Materials Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-materials-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Korea Materials Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-materials-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)