Comprehensive Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Incidents in South Korea Based on Statistical Investigation and Hypothesis-Based Failure Analysis: Ignition Mechanisms and Thermal Runaway Suppression Strategies

Abstract

As lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) rapidly expand into electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESSs), rising fire incidents have intensified safety concerns. This study analyzes a unique dataset of 161 EV and 58 ESS fire incidents officially reported in South Korea since 2017, providing a rare basis for systematic fire cause assessment. By integrating official government investigation reports with a hypothesis-based analytical framework, the results suggest that LIB fires arise from synergistic interactions between electrochemical instabilities, environmental stressors, and system-level vulnerabilities, rather than from a single root cause. Representative failure hypotheses are evaluated using reproduction experiment results and field investigation data reported by national investigation committees, allowing identification of dominant ignition and propagation pathways. Based on these empirical findings, we propose targeted mitigation strategies across three levels: materials-level innovations (e.g., electrolyte and separator engineering), system-level safety architectures (e.g., advanced thermal management), and operational and regulatory frameworks informed by real-world fire statistics. In this work explicitly links empirical fire incident statistics with mechanistic validation, providing a structured perspective on battery fire safety. These insights may offer practical guidance for battery designers, system integrators, and policymakers to mitigate thermal runaway risks and support the sustainable growth of the EV and ESS industries.