"He Was a Mentor, Not Just a Founder"... Memorial Service Held for Choi Changgeol, Honorary Chairman of Korea Zinc

The memorial service for the late Choi Changgeol, Honorary Chairman of Korea Zinc, was solemnly held at the company’s headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at approximately 7:30 a.m. on October 10.

At 8 a.m. on the 10th, the funeral hall for Honorary Chairman Choi Changgeol was set up at the headquarters of Korea Zinc in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Provided by Korea Zinc

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The ceremony was held privately for about an hour, attended only by family members and company executives and employees. In his eulogy, Lee Jejung, Vice Chairman of Korea Zinc, recalled, "The Honorary Chairman pioneered the non-ferrous metals industry in Korea, which was once a barren field, and laid the foundation for the nation to become a resource powerhouse. His insight and determination in overcoming turbulent times, despite a lack of technology, talent, and resources, made Korea Zinc what it is today." Baek Soonheum, Head of the Management Group, reported on his career, saying, "He inherited his father's entrepreneurial spirit and developed Korea Zinc into the world’s leading smelting company. He was a leader who respected people and fulfilled his social responsibilities."

Honorary Chairman Choi was born in Hwanghae-do in 1941, graduated from Kyunggi High School and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in the United States. He began his management career as a founding member of Korea Zinc in 1974 and grew the company into a global comprehensive non-ferrous metals smelting enterprise.

Honorary Chairman Choi’s leadership is characterized by evolution and innovation. In an internal interview marking the company's 40th anniversary in 2014, he said, "For a company, halting growth is the same as death for a person. If you do not evolve, you will be left behind." He also emphasized, "Our achievements were made together by all employees, not by a single great hero," and "organizational strength is more important than star players." This management philosophy led to labor-management harmony and mutual growth. Since its founding, Korea Zinc set unprecedented records of 38 years without labor disputes and 102 consecutive profitable quarters.

After the memorial service, family members including Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yoonbum and company employees accompanied the late Honorary Chairman on his final journey. He was laid to rest at Moran Park in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.

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