POSCO Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon 10th Anniversary Memorial Concert Held

Held on the 7th at Jamsil Lotte Concert Hall... Conducted by Geum Nan-sae, performed by New World Philharmonic Orchestra

Family members, POSCO Group executives, and others honor the late's legacy

10th anniversary memorial symposium on Park Tae-joon's leadership and a commemorative photo exhibition also held

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] POSCO held a memorial concert to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing of Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon.

The memorial concert took place on the 7th at the Jamsil Lotte Concert Hall, attended by about 900 people including bereaved family members, founding members, former chairmen, Cheongam Foundation officials, and POSCO Group executives and employees selected through a lottery, all in a solemn atmosphere.

The concert was conducted by the world-renowned musician Geum Nan-sae, featuring performances by the New World Philharmonic Orchestra and collaborations with top domestic musicians such as soprano Jo Seon-hyung, pianist Yoo Young-wook, and flutist Yoo Jae-ah, enhancing the dignity of the memorial performance.

Geum Nan-sae, a musician who had frequent exchanges with Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon during his lifetime, personally selected and performed a total of seven pieces including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, delivering a profound resonance to the audience.

In particular, Geum Nan-sae introduced the 1812 Overture by saying, “This piece is a powerful composition celebrating victory, and I chose it because it resonates with POSCO’s overcoming of difficult circumstances without resources or capital to become the world’s top steel company.” Before performing Elgar’s Enigma Variations, which evokes mysterious and sublime emotions, he shared his special feelings about conducting the memorial concert, stating, “In honor of Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon, I specially selected this piece out of respect for his indomitable will.”

The New World Philharmonic Orchestra, known as the “National Orchestra,” successfully holds about 100 concerts annually in over 30 regions, and has continued to appear at POSCO events the most times, with 48 performances since their inaugural POSCO Concert in 1999, which has become a representative cultural sponsorship activity of POSCO.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon’s passing, POSCO held a memorial symposium on the 3rd at the POSCO Center Art Hall in Daechi-dong, Seoul, hosted by the POSTECH Park Tae-joon Future Strategy Institute. Under the theme “Eternal Resonance, Spirit for the Future,” the symposium began with a memorial speech by Song Bok, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, followed by presentations from Professor Kim Byung-yeon of Seoul National University, President Kim Moo-hwan of POSTECH, and former Vice Minister of Science and ICT Moon Mi-ok. The event provided a comprehensive discussion reflecting on Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon’s pioneering achievements and future directions through his leadership.

The POSCO Museum, located in the POSCO Center, is hosting a photo exhibition commemorating the 10th anniversary of Cheongam Park Tae-joon until the 23rd. The exhibition displays about 80 works including various photos and portraits from key periods during the Honorary Chairman’s tenure, such as the founding of Pohang Iron and Steel Company, his inauguration as the first president, the comprehensive construction of Pohang’s first phase facilities, the blast furnace lighting ceremony, and his receipt of the Order of the Mugunghwa Medal. Additionally, a memorial video hall is operated, screening edited footage showing rarely seen images of the late chairman.

Visitors are also provided with a free memorial book titled “Thinking of Park Tae-joon,” published by the Pohang Community Research Institute ahead of the 10th anniversary of his passing, to offer a deeper insight into the late chairman.

This book contains evaluations and photographs from various fields about Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon’s life and achievements, which laid the foundation for national construction through the steel industry. It also includes materials such as a special lecture at Hanoi National University and his final speech, including a greeting about “reuniting with retired employees after 19 years,” allowing readers to revisit the spirit of Park Tae-joon.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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