The birth of the steelmaking educational comic, “I want to create content about steel!”

The educational steelmaking comic “I want to create content about steel!” is born.

This is a fun comic book that has recently appeared on the shelves of elementary school libraries and public libraries across Korea in book and e-book forms. It is none other than “I want to create content about steel!” This educational comic was produced in 2020 by the Korea Iron & Steel Association (KOSA) and its members, including POSCO, and is also listed in KOSA’s Steel Cyber PR Room. From the end of 2022 to March 2023, the comic was also published in the Chosun Children’s Daily, and an English version can be found on the World Steel Association’s website.

Why did KOSA create the “I want to create content about steel!”

What do people nowadays think about steelmaking, an industry that has occupied an important place as a core industry of Korea? Many steelmakers in Korea have continuously invested in environmental responsibility by building eco-friendly plants and preparing policies for carbon-neutral steel, but negative conceptions of steelmaking as an industry that causes significant damage to the environment remain. Nevertheless, steelmaking is “a core industry of Korea with eco-friendly characteristics” thanks to its by-products being easy to recycle and products using advanced steel materials that boast excellent energy efficiency.

“I want to create content about steel!” preview

“I want to create content about steel!” begins with Hanna, a 12-year-old whose parents work in the steelmaking plant, thinking about her future career. Hanna joins her parents to explore the steelmaking plant, learning about the importance of steel, and begins dreaming about becoming a content creator who teaches others about the importance of steel. Readers follow Hanna and her friend, Howie, as they learn about the birth of steel, how to create steel, the recycling process, and eco-friendly techniques like blue carbon and by-product gas. They see Hanna realize her dream 20 years later and are invited to build their dreams while learning about smart factories and hydrogen-based steelmaking concepts.

Where can I find “I want to create content about steel!”?

A total of 15,000 copies of “I want to create content about steel!” were distributed to 7,406 sites, including elementary schools and public libraries nationwide, to be used as extracurricular reference materials. The comic books can be found in your school or public libraries, KOSA’s Steel Cyber PR Room, and the Chosun Children’s Daily. An English version is available on the World Steel Association’s website.

The conclusion of Hanna, the steelmaking content creator, and her best friend Howie’s story, 20 years after the main episode, can be found in Korea’s only educational steelmaking comic, “I want to create content about steel!”