Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO Group, Inaugurated as the 44th President of the World Steel Association

World Steel Association General Assembly Held on the 18th in Brussels, Belgium

Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO Group, was inaugurated as the President of the World Steel Association at the World Steel Association General Assembly held in Brussels, Belgium on the 18th (local time). Chairman Choi is taking a commemorative photo with Sajan Jindal, Chairman of India's JSW and the former President of the World Steel Association. Photo by POSCO Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO Group, was inaugurated as the 44th chairman at the World Steel Association General Assembly held in Brussels, Belgium on the 18th (local time).

Chairman Choi will represent the global steel industry for the next year along with Sajjan Jindal, Chairman of India's JSW (Jindal Steel Works Limited), who is the Vice Chairman of the World Steel Association, and Leon Topalian, President of Nucor in the United States. The World Steel Association's chairmanship consists of one chairman and two vice chairmen, totaling three members, with a term of three years.

Chairman Choi was recognized for his global leadership by successfully hosting the HyIS Forum (Hydrogen Iron & Steel Making Forum), which is the first in the steel industry to discuss hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology, and for his management achievements. He was appointed to the World Steel Association chairmanship in October last year and served as vice chairman for one year.

This is the fourth time that POSCO Group has produced a chairman of the World Steel Association, following former chairmen Kim Man-je (1996?1997), Lee Gu-taek (2007?2008), and Jung Joon-yang (2013?2014).

Chairman Choi stated, “Steel will be the core of eco-friendly future materials,” adding, “To this end, all steel companies will join forces to lay the foundation for the commercialization of hydrogen reduction steelmaking and strive to solve the pressing challenges of the steel industry such as carbon neutrality and ESG management.”

Meanwhile, during the General Assembly, POSCO won awards in two categories?Technology Innovation and Sustainability?at the 2022 Steelie Awards hosted by the World Steel Association, and also achieved recognition in the Safety and Health Best Practice Certification Program.

The Steelie Awards, established in 2010, are given annually to outstanding steel companies that have made significant contributions to the development of the steel industry among all members of the World Steel Association. The awards are divided into six categories: Low Carbon Steel Production, Technology Innovation, Sustainability, Life Cycle Assessment, Education and Training, and Communication Programs.

In the Technology Innovation category, POSCO’s high-speed alternating current pickling technology for stainless steel wide plates (width over 1200 mm) was recognized for its value. This technology, developed first in the world by POSCO, uses alternating current electricity to remove contaminants from stainless steel wide plate products and enables the pickling process to be carried out at a faster speed while keeping the surface clean.

In the 2022 Steelie Awards, POSCO received an award in the sustainability category for its 'Shell Resource Recycling Case.' The photo shows processed shells stored at the raw material yard of POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks. Photo by POSCO Group

In the Sustainability category, POSCO received an award for its shell resource recycling case. POSCO succeeded in using processed shells, whose main component is similar to limestone, as a substitute for limestone in the sintering process, which is the process of agglomerating iron ore into lumps. This shell resource recycling case was highly evaluated for its greenhouse gas reduction achievements, enhancement of the steel industry's eco-friendly image, and its ability to solve environmental issues such as wastewater and odor in local communities.

POSCO’s Smart Safety Ball, the world’s first hazardous gas detection tool developed by POSCO, was certified as a best practice in safety and health. This is the third certification following the POSCO-type safety system in 2010 and the Safety Golden Bell in 2020.

POSCO has been ranked first for 12 consecutive years as the “Most Competitive Steel Company in the World” selected by the global steel analysis institution WSD (World Steel Dynamics), and received the Best Steelmaker Award from S&P Global Platts in 2018 and 2020. In April of this year, it was selected as the Best Sustainability Member of the World Steel Association.

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