Young Poong Outside Directors Visit Seokpo Smelter to Inspect Eco-Friendly Operations

Review of Environmental and Safety Investments and Improvement Plans
Inspection of Zero Liquid Discharge System and Responsible Minerals Management System

All of Young Poong's outside directors visited the Seokpo Smelter to inspect its eco-friendly operations and to review the status of environmental investments and the safety management system.

On the 14th, Yongpung Chairman of the Board Heo Sung-kwan (second from the right) and outside directors visited the Seokpo Smelter to receive explanations about key facilities. Yongpung

On May 14, Young Poong announced that Chairman Heo Sung-kwan, together with directors Choi Chang-won, Park Jeong-ok, and Jeon Young-jun, as well as all other outside directors, visited the Seokpo Smelter in Bonghwa-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. This is the second on-site inspection following last year.

The outside directors were briefed on the status of investments in the environmental sector and plans to improve safety measures. They conducted a thorough inspection of production and environmental facilities, including the roasting and casting process, precipitation and retention ponds, water treatment plant, and the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system. Afterwards, they held a board meeting at the site and received a management status report.

Since establishing an environmental improvement and innovation plan in 2019, Young Poong has invested approximately 540 billion won in upgrading its factory infrastructure as of the end of last year. The company explained that it strengthened its environmental management system, becoming the first smelter in the world to implement a ZLD system in 2021.

The company also explained that the surrounding ecosystem remains healthy, noting that in January, three endangered otters were spotted in the Nakdong River in front of the smelter and an endangered goat was discovered in the mountains behind the smelter's second plant.

In April, the Seokpo Smelter was certified by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), a global responsible minerals coalition, earning RMAP certification and being registered as an LME-conformant smelter at the London Metal Exchange (LME).

Heo Sung-kwan, Chairman of Young Poong's Board of Directors, stated, "By seeing the ZLD system and large-scale environmental investment sites at the Seokpo Smelter firsthand, I once again felt the company's commitment to environmental management. The outside directors will continue to fulfill our role as independent monitors and supporters so that the smelter can continuously improve in the areas of environment and safety, coexist with the local community, and be trusted by the public as an eco-friendly factory."

Im No-gyu, Head of Young Poong's Seokpo Smelter, said, "This visit by the outside directors provided an opportunity for an objective review of the company's environmental and safety management capabilities and helped enhance management transparency. We will actively embrace the board's recommendations and drive sustainable future growth based on world-class eco-friendly smelting technology."

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