[Column] Responsibility Controversy over Pohang Steel... A Bitter Aftertaste

Employees of Pohang Steelworks are carrying out typhoon damage recovery.

The blame game over the flooding damage at POSCO Pohang Steelworks caused by Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor’ seems to be coming to an end. As the government and POSCO repeatedly clashed over the cause of the flood damage, Lee Chang-yang, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, the relevant department head, stated, "We are not considering disciplining POSCO’s management."

However, the aftertaste remains unpleasant. Just when full efforts should be focused on recovery after Hinnamnor, the sudden emergence of accountability debates has led some to analyze that this incident might end similarly to past cases where the head of the POSCO Group changed with each regime change.

The incident began with a briefing by Jang Young-jin, First Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, on the 14th. During the briefing on the ‘Steel Flood Recovery and Supply Monitoring Task Force (TF) Operation,’ Vice Minister Jang said, "We plan to focus on investigating the cause of the damage." The unusual emphasis on ‘responsibility’ rather than ‘recovery’ led some to respond with disbelief.

This showed a clear difference in tone from the government’s previous attitude, which prioritized managing the situation. The political sphere also joined in. Sung Il-jong, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party, asserted, "If negligence in preparing countermeasures for the typhoon damage is revealed, the management should be held accountable." Although the government and politicians did not directly target POSCO’s management, the criticism naturally pointed toward POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo.

POSCO expressed frustration, stating that the damage was caused by a natural disaster due to the overflow of a nearby river, and that the damage was exacerbated by the narrowing of the river width caused by Pohang City’s Naengcheon park project, which blocked the water flow. However, the government increased pressure on ‘management responsibility.’ Meanwhile, the blame game between the government and POSCO escalated into a public opinion battle, with more weight given to the natural disaster argument, ultimately ending with the government appearing to settle the matter.

Recovery work at POSCO Pohang Steelworks is still ongoing. A thorough investigation into the cause is essential to ensure that such an incident never recurs. However, at this moment, both the government and POSCO must focus their efforts on recovery to prevent further damage.

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