On June 17, the “2020 Honorable Persons of Steel Awards Ceremony ” was held at the Intercontinental Seoul COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Due to COVID-19, the awards ceremony was held in place of “Steel Day,” a day filled with commemorative events that is usually held every year. The small awards ceremony was attended by CEO Choi Jeong-woo of the Korea Iron and Steel Association, Minister Sung Yun-mo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and President & CEO Ahn Tong-il of Hyundai Steel, as well as award recipients and around 50 of their family members.
At the ceremony, 29 ”Honorable Persons of Steel” were awarded a government prize.
The Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Award went to Park Cheon-tark of the Public Relations Team, Kim Hee-won of the Ship-building Support Team, and Lee Dong-yeol of the Parts Development Support Team.
The Steel Award, given to a person who has improved the company’s competitive edge in the steel industry through the R&D of steel technology, was awarded to Lim Se-ho of the Steelmaking Support Team for contributing to the world’s first development of a new type of cooling pattern, implemented at the company’s second casting cooling facility.
On the same day, Hyundai Steel also signed an agreement with the Korea Iron and Steel Association, POSCO, and the Industrial Bank of Korea for the creation of the Mutual Steel Cooperation Fund, representing USD 80 million in total funds. The Mutual Steel Cooperation Fund provides emergency operational funds to small- and medium-sized steel companies suffering from the effects of COVID-19. The money will be used by steel companies having difficulties maintaining a certain level of liquid assets and will be used for emergency management stabilization and employee retention.
The Steel Day ceremony is typically held every year in celebration of June 9, 1973, the day that molten metal was produced in Korea for the first time using a modern furnace.