South Korea EV fires spark calls for stricter safety rules

SEOUL -- Serious fires in South Korea that started in electric vehicle batteries are spurring calls for more robust regulations while raising concerns over a possible dip in the industry's fortunes.

On Tuesday, government officials convened a meeting to address growing public concerns over the risk of fires. The number of blazes involving EV batteries has increased in recent years, according to government figures: There were 72 last year, up from 43 in 2022 and 24 in 2021.