POSCO Chairman: "If production is halted due to safety measures, it should be rewarded, not punished"

POSCO Chairman Choi Jung-woo is inspecting the safety management status at the steel mill site in early last month.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO, emphasized that safety measures at frontline production sites are of utmost importance.

According to the company on the 3rd, at a recent group operations meeting, Chairman Choi stressed that safety should be the top priority in all management activities this year. He stated, "If workers receive work instructions without ensured safety or if they face difficulties working due to physical or emotional factors, they have the right to refuse such work," adding, "This right must be firmly guaranteed for employees."

He instructed that the right to stop work be communicated to employees and strictly enforced. Chairman Choi added, "If production falls short due to taking safety measures, it should not be held against anyone but rather be rewarded."

He continued, "The system should be improved so that if anyone reports a safety issue, the relevant department can take immediate action," and said, "Safety-related investments should be prioritized and executed swiftly through a fast-track process."

Chairman Choi emphasized safety as a core value both in his New Year's address this year and during visits to steelworks. The company stated that it has changed the operational paradigm of steelworks to prioritize safety in production and reaffirmed the principle of prohibiting all maintenance and repair work while equipment is in operation. Over the past three years, it has spent 1.3157 trillion won on replacing aging equipment and establishing dedicated safety organizations, and plans to spend an additional 1 trillion won over the next three years for safety management.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.