POSCO Pohang Steelworks, Over 30,000 People Mobilized for Recovery During Chuseok Holiday Period

Pohang Steel Employees, Group Companies, and Partners Unite Their Capabilities
Blast Furnace No. 4 Operating Normally on the 12th... All Blast Furnaces Expected to Normalize by Tomorrow at the Earliest

On the evening of the 11th, POSCO Pohang Steelworks resumed normal operation of the blast furnace for the first time in four days since the typhoon flooding damage. Photo by POSCO

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] POSCO Pohang Steelworks, which had halted some operations due to flooding damage caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor, carried out 24-hour recovery work throughout the Chuseok holiday period from the 9th to the 12th. Pohang Steelworks is expected to have all blast furnaces operating normally as early as tomorrow (the 13th).

According to POSCO on the 12th, during the holiday period, an average of about 8,000 employees daily?including those from Pohang Steelworks, Gwangyang Steelworks, group companies, partners, and related organizations?gathered at Pohang Steelworks, with a cumulative total of over 30,000 people during the holidays, to fully commit to recovery efforts. About 200 employees from the Seoul POSCO Center and around 300 direct maintenance and partner employees from Gwangyang Steelworks also rolled up their sleeves to help.

Local governments such as Gyeongbuk Province, the Fire Agency, the Expressway Corporation, shipbuilders, and the Marine Corps have also provided significant support through heavy equipment and manpower, including large-capacity water cannons, fire pumps, water trucks, and pumps.

Thanks to the combined efforts of employees, partners, and related organizations, all blast furnaces at POSCO Pohang Steelworks are expected to resume normal operation as early as tomorrow. Following the normal operation of Pohang Blast Furnace No. 3 on the 10th, Blast Furnace No. 4 is scheduled to resume operation on the same day in coordination with the recovery schedule of steelmaking facilities, and Blast Furnace No. 2 is expected to start normal operation by the 13th at the earliest.

On this day, Pohang Steelworks plans to focus on restoring the steelmaking and continuous casting facilities to process molten iron produced from the blast furnaces. Regarding the steelmaking plant, Steelmaking No. 2 Converter No. 4 and Steelmaking No. 3 Converter No. 1 resumed operation on the 11th, with the goal of normalizing all steelmaking facilities as soon as possible.

To minimize damage to customers, Gwangyang Steelworks will switch to maximum production mode and prioritize emergency re-steel production for customers, as well as sell existing inventory to customers. An emergency shipment response team for rapid customer response will be activated starting tomorrow.

Regarding the rolling line, which suffered the greatest damage from the flooding of the Naengcheon River, most underground facilities remain submerged, and drainage and mud removal work is still ongoing. Accurate damage assessment and the establishment of recovery and operation plans for the rolling line are expected only after the underground facilities are fully restored.

During the recovery process, thorough precautions against safety accidents are being taken, and unexpected issues are being promptly resolved with support from in-house expert technicians, POSCO retirees, group company and partner experts, and advisory committee members forming technical support and safety teams on site. In particular, before electrical restoration and equipment commissioning, repeated checks and inspections are conducted to ensure no necessary safety measures are omitted, and thorough preparations are made against similar risks, prioritizing safety in all recovery work.

A POSCO official stated, "We deeply appreciate the comfort and support from the public during the holiday period. Our employees are united to respond with swift normalization of operations, and we will do our utmost to minimize the impact on the local and national economy."

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