Tennessee governor meets with SK On CEO to strengthen investment ties

Gov. Bill Lee of the U.S. state of Tennessee on Thursday met with the head of SK On to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and strengthen ties, industry sources said. Lee visited SK On's headquarters in central Seoul earlier in the day and had talks with Lee Seok-hee, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Korean battery manufacturer, according to the sources. During the meeting, they discussed the planned operation of SK On's plant under construction in Tennessee by BlueOval SK, a joint venture between SK On and Ford Motor, as well as measures to strengthen cooperation with the local community. BlueOval SK is building a 45 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Tennessee as part of its 16 trillion-won ($11.2 billion) investment plan to build three manufacturing facilities in the United States. The facility is scheduled to begin operations next year. During his Seoul stay, Gov. Lee is also expected to meet with South Korean companies investing in Tennessee, including LG Chem, LG Energy Solution and LG Electronics. LG Chem is building a cathode materials plant in Clarksville, while LG Energy S