South Korea Catalyst Market

South Korea Catalyst Market Overview:

The South Korea catalyst market size reached USD 787.74 Million in 2024. The market is projected to reach USD 1,000.53 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 2.42% during 2025-2033. The market is fueled by increasing demand for sophisticated chemicals and materials across different industries, which need catalysts for performance enhancement. Apart from that, government environmental sustainability regulations and tighter emission controls are also driving the demand for catalytic processes efficiently. Moreover, robust industrial base along with research and development (R&D) focus towards catalyst technology is also augmenting the South Korea catalyst market share.

South Korea Catalyst Market Trends:

Growth of the Automotive Sector and the Demand for Emission-Control Catalysts

The South Korean automobile sector has made a considerable contribution to the use of emission-control catalysts. Industry reports indicate that as of August 2024, the automobile industry, comprising motor vehicles and automobile parts, accounted for approximately 15% of South Korea's overall exports, indicating its major contribution to the country's export sector. As one of the world's largest automobile exporters, South Korea is committed to fulfilling more stringent emission regulations established by both domestic and global regulators. The demand for high-performance catalysts applied in vehicle exhaust systems to combat harmful pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) has been propelled by this. In addition, with increased usage of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles, there is movement toward catalyst demand to address the needs of these technologies. Nevertheless, conventional internal combustion engine cars still demand highly efficient catalysts for optimum performance. Moreover, the country's major automotive companies like Hyundai and Kia are making considerable investments in new catalyst technologies to be in accordance with the regulations as well as to preserve their competitive advantage in the global market. The trend is likely to continue to propel market expansion, especially as the automotive market continues to emphasize environmental sustainability and emission lowering.

Increasing Demand for Green and Sustainable Catalysts

The growing emphasis on green and sustainable catalysts is positively impacting the South Korea catalyst market growth. This trend is primarily motivated by the country's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and aligning with global environmental regulations. South Korea has implemented strict emission controls in industries such as automotive, chemical manufacturing, and energy production. As a result, industries are increasingly turning to catalysts that can help minimize harmful emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce energy consumption. In addition to this, the push for sustainability has led to significant investments in research and development (R&D) of eco-friendly catalysts, positioning South Korea as a leader in innovation within the market. Notably, on June 12, 2025, Hanyang University ERICA researchers announced the development of a novel boron‑doped cobalt phosphide catalyst synthesized via metal‑organic frameworks, aimed at reducing the cost of green hydrogen production while enhancing efficiency. Their optimized material demonstrated exceptional electrocatalytic performance in both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, delivering lower overpotentials (248 mV for OER and 95 mV for HER) and outperforming benchmark RuO₂/Pt‑C systems at high current densities. This shift is influencing both domestic manufacturers and international companies seeking to meet environmental standards.

South Korea Catalyst Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on type, process, raw material, and application.

Type Insights:

• Heterogeneous Catalyst
• Homogeneous Catalyst

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the type. This includes heterogeneous catalyst and homogeneous catalyst.

Process Insights:

• Recycling
• Regeneration
• Rejuvenation

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the process have also been provided in the report. This includes recycling, regeneration, and rejuvenation.

Raw Material Insights:

• Chemical Compounds
  • Peroxides
  • Acids
  • Amines
  • Others
• Metals
  • Precious Metals
  • Base Metals
• Zeolites
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the raw material. This includes chemical compounds (peroxides, acids, amines, and others), metals (precious metals and base metals), zeolites, and others.

Application Insights:

• Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemical Catalysts
  • Adsorbents
  • Syngas Production
  • Others
• Petroleum Refining
  • Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
  • Alkylation
  • Hydrotreating 
  • Catalytic Reforming 
  • Purification
  • Bed Grading
  • Others 
• Polymers and Petrochemicals
  • Ziegler Natta
  • Reaction Initiator
  • Chromium
  • Urethane
  • Solid Phosphorous Acid Catalyst
  • Others
• Environmental
  • Light-duty Vehicles
  • Motorcycles
  • Heavy-duty Vehicles 
  • Others

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the application have also been provided in the report. This includes chemical synthesis (chemical catalysts, adsorbents, syngas production, and others), petroleum refining (fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), alkylation, hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, purification, bed grading, and others), polymers and petrochemicals (ziegler natta, reaction initiator, chromium, urethane, solid phosphorous acid catalyst, and others), and environmental (light-duty vehicles, motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, and others).

Regional Insights:

• Seoul Capital Area 
• Yeongnam (Southeastern Region) 
• Honam (Southwestern Region) 
• Hoseo (Central Region) 
• Others 

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Seoul Capital Area, Yeongnam (Southeastern Region), Honam (Southwestern Region), Hoseo (Central Region), and others. 

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

South Korea Catalyst Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the South Korea catalyst market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea catalyst market on the basis of type?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea catalyst market on the basis of process?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea catalyst market on the basis of raw material?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea catalyst market on the basis of application?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea catalyst market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Korea catalyst market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Korea catalyst market?
• What is the structure of the South Korea catalyst market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the South Korea catalyst market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the South Korea catalyst market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the South Korea catalyst market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the South Korea catalyst industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.