Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, said Korea can become a model for the global hydrogen industry and noted that Hyundai Motor Group is playing an important role.
After finishing a talk at the "2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit" at the Gyeongju Arts Center on the 30th, CEO Jemelkova told reporters, "Korea has all the conditions needed for the hydrogen industry to succeed, including a medium- to long-term vision, institutional support, and close cooperation between the government and corporations."
The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO consultative body related to the hydrogen economy established in 2017. More than 140 corporations from over 20 countries are currently participating, and Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, who leads Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen business, serves as co-chair.
CEO Jemelkova said, "Hyundai Motor Group is creating demand for hydrogen in a variety of areas beyond automobiles, including ships, heavy equipment, and trams," adding that it is "a corporation that plays an important role in the development of the hydrogen industry."
Regarding the slow growth of the hydrogen electric vehicle market, she said, "It still needs time." She said, "When you pursue a new business, you sometimes succeed, but you also learn from failure," adding, "The hydrogen industry should be seen as still in a learning and growth phase."
CEO Jemelkova noted that hydrogen investment has increased about tenfold over the past five years and that 510 projects worldwide have received final investment decisions, analyzing that, overall, growth momentum is continuing.
She added, "Twenty years ago, smartphones also faced an uncertain outlook for commercialization due to high prices and other reasons," saying, "The hydrogen industry is in a similar situation to smartphones at that time."