With the winter season in full swing in northern India, POSCO India and India Delhi Processing Center (IDPC) employees, under the charismatic leadership of President Mr. Gee Woong Sung, planned to distribute warm smiles to needy children living in the slums. As an extension to the food donation drive, POSCO employees planned a visit in collaboration with the Delhi-NCR Food Bank on December 9, to one of the slum schools run by Sakshi, a non-governmental organization (NGO), at Badshahpur in Gurugram, Haryana.

The Sakshi Center at Badshahpur has around 200 impoverished kids who get a free education and meals. The ages of these children range between 3 to 10 years old. They receive a basic education at a small school which has 5 classrooms, 1 library cum computer room and 7 teachers in total. The children come in batches of 100, in 2 different shifts.

About Sakshi

Sakshi is the only full-spectrum grassroots NGO in India providing services spanning the development trifecta of education, health and community development to its community. The organization is thus able to provide a comprehensive path from poverty to prosperity for the destitute, and fully empower them to tread on it successfully.

Over the last eighteen years, Sakshi has grown to 120 centers and managed to carve paths to a beautiful life for thousands of marginalized young children, women and communities.

What was POSCO India’s role in this donation drive?

During this donation drive, POSCO India & IDPC voluntarily planned to spend time to help and support the children. They served food, cleaned & sanitized the school premises and provided logistic and stationary aid for the children to be able to continue their day to day education. The company donated shoe stands, notebooks, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, sketch pens, crayons and writing and reading books for the library. All the kids were extremely excited and overjoyed to meet POSCO volunteers at their school, and it was clearly evident that the feeling was mutual among POSCO employees as well. At the end of the visit, snacks were given to each child: a pack of apple juice and a banana, which ended up being the icing on the cake for the day.

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In the construction industry, for example, steel provides equipment such as cranes, drills, bulldozers and scaffolding. From basic hoes, shovels and forks, to modern ploughs, irrigation systems and grain storage silos, steel also makes agriculture easier and more efficient. Likewise, almost every form of human communication uses steel in some way. Newspapers and books wouldn’t exist without steel presses, while computers and pens contain the metal and are produced with steel equipment.

As such, it’s no surprise that tools and machinery make up a big portion of all steel products. In fact, in 2014 alone, tools and machinery represented approximately 14 percent of global steel use.

This month, The Steel Wire will explore today’s most innovative tools and machinery made from steel. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store for April’s content.

A Cut Above the Rest: Wear-Resistant Steel Knives Enhance Sustainability

In Brazil, sugar cane straw is commonly utilized as a renewable energy source, and is widely used to produce fuel for cars. Brazilian company Fácil System recently developed wear-resistant steel knives for its raw material shredding mill, making the sugar cane shredding process more efficient. The innovative use of wear-resistant steel extends the service life of the knives, thus lowering maintenance costs and delivering energy savings.

Bridging the Gap: How the World’s First 3D-Printed Steel Bridge Is Transforming Construction

Dutch startup MX3D began construction last year on the world’s first 3D-printed metal bridge—a technique that could soon become standard on future construction sites. The steel bridge, which is being constructed using two modified, multi-axis robotic arms, is on track to be completed by 2017 and will be placed on a canal in Amsterdam.

Heavy Lifting Made Easy with New Steel Adaptable Crane Section

The Boom Booster is a highly innovative design unlike any other boom system on the market and was developed by Terex Cranes Germany to dramatically increase the performance of its existing cranes. It utilizes a variety of high-strength steel for components like the trusses, tube members and bolted joints.

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Movies

Edward Scissorhands

Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, Edward Scissorhands is an American cult classic. This was the beginning of a long cinematic career together for Burton and Depp. The main character has steel claws instead of hands, and grows up isolated from the world. A modern Frankenstein story, Edward Scissorhands deals with themes of exclusion, coming of age and love. (image: http://bit.ly/1NuLPx7)

Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias is an American comedic drama, adapted from a play for the big screen. The play writer chose a title that juxtaposes the tenacity and fragility of the main characters; tough as steel, delicate as a flower. The movie stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood history, including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, Tom Skerritt and Dylan McDermott. Steel Magnolias touches on the themes of life and death, family and the bond between a groups of friends. (image: http://bit.ly/1NuLUkm)

Terminator

The Terminator franchise began in 1984 and continues today. Arnold Schwarzenegger depicts the original terminator model, created to wipe out the human race. The story has been told in comics, movies, television, video games and books. The futuristic science-fiction story encompasses themes of military intelligence, artificial intelligence and genocide. The quotes, “I’ll be back” and “Hasta la vista, baby” are widely recognized everywhere. (image: http://onforb.es/1U8EGSg)

Titanic

The first film to gross over one billion dollars, Titanic is historical fiction based on the real-life sinking of the RMS Titanic. Written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film centers on the love story of the two characters from different social classes, using the historical event as the setting. The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike and was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards. (image: http://bit.ly/1MHMCt7)

Kill Bill

Kill Bill is an American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It was split into two parts due to its long running time. The two-part series stars Uma Thurman, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox and David Carradine. The traditionally made Japanese blade, the katana sword, has a major role in the films, and Tarantino creates a character out of the fictional legend of the katana blade, made from repeatedly folded steel. (image: http://bit.ly/1MNgXId)

But if you think about it, steel and superheroes aren’t really all that different, as the two possess very similar characteristics. Which is probably why the metal has been a common thread in comics and superhero stories throughout the past century. In fact, references to steel can be found in the gadgets, in the names and in the iconic costumes of the world’s favorite comics. Read on to find out about a few of them. 

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… No! It’s Steel!

Perhaps no other superhero has as much of an association to the metal as the Man of Steel himself: Superman. Often referred to as the greatest superhero of all time, Superman is faster than a speeding (steel) bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and can leap tall buildings in a single bound. He may be, for all intents and purposes, indestructible.

However, the Man of Steel gets his nickname from his unwavering resolve. When he is put in a situation and must choose between absolute power and absolute servitude, he doesn’t bend in the same way that steel doesn’t bend under pressure. It is altruism that makes Superman, well, super. (Image: http://on.fb.me/1HL2qYI) 

From Irons to Steel

John Henry Irons first appeared in The Adventures of Superman in 1993. Originally a weapons engineer, Irons became distraught and faked his death after a cannon he had designed fell into the wrong hands and was used to kill innocent people. Later on, he was saved by Superman when he fell from a skyscraper and was inspired to “live a life worth saving.” During Superman’s fatal battle against Doomsday, Irons attempted to return the favor, though unsuccessfully, by fighting the villain with a sledgehammer.

He was eventually likened to a reincarnation of Superman and was nicknamed “Steel” by Superman himself. He appeared in his own solo series, battling the gangs that used the weapons he created. Traits of the character, who is often portrayed wielding a hammer, are inspired by the African American folk hero John Henry. (Image: http://bit.ly/1KmbdBA)

Pedal to the Metal

Unlike other superheroes, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, has no super powers. Instead, he relies on his mental and physical excellence, martial arts mastery, detective skills and criminal psychology expertise. Additionally, he uses his Batsuit to prey on criminals’ fears and utilizes an arsenal of high-tech gadgets. Among these, the Batmobile is probably the most well-known. Bulletproof and fireproof steel armor plates envelop the body and cockpit of the car, which has been customized over time, both in comic books and movies, into a sleek metal mobile. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which is expected to premiere in 2016, illustrates the power of the Batman suit, complete with steel knuckles and steel-toed boots. Take a look for yourself. (Image: http://bit.ly/1Lwc4me)

Blue Steel

The Mark 30, also known by its codename “Blue Steel”, is a Silver Centurion Suit, and was one of several new Iron Man Armors created by Tony Stark as part of the Iron Legion. The armor, which utilizes blue and silver plates as well as a triangular shaped Unibeam in its design, was created sometime after the Battle of New York.

It was featured in Iron Man 3, and made its debut in the Hollywood hit when Tony ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to initiate “House Party Protocol”, in which it was activated to assist Tony in his battle against Aldrich Killian. (Image: http://bit.ly/1eirzj2)

Fictional Steel Gets Real

Adamantium is a practically indestructible fictional steel alloy that appears in a number of comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is best known as the substance that was bonded to the superhero Wolverine’s skeleton and claws during an experiment carried out by the Japanese scientist Lord Dark Wind.

Wolverine’s mutant healing factor allowed him to survive the process and generated a molecular change in the metal, transforming it into Adamantium Beta, an entirely new metal that does not inhibit the biological processes of bone. As a result, Wolverine ended up with some incredibly sharp claws that allow him to cut into durable materials, block attack and projectiles, as well as dig into surfaces allowing him to climb. This impressive mythical metal is even inspiring new, real developments in materials science. (Image: http://bit.ly/1Km7EeA)

It doesn’t seem that the world’s passion for comics will fizzle out anytime soon. In fact, as stories and characters develop and redevelop over the years, the number of superhero fanatics only continues to grow larger. It is certain that steel, a symbol of strength and indestructibility, will continue to play a part in these inspiring stories.

The images that cross your mind may seem apocalyptic, or even impossible to fathom. There is barely a part of our lives today that is not influenced by the metal, and it is not an exaggeration to say that steel is perhaps the most significant component of the modern world. Without it, civilization as we know it would cease to exist. Let’s take a look at a few ways the world would be a different place without steel.

Skylines would be incredibly boring.

Structures such as skyscrapers and towers would be inconceivable without steel supports and cables. Therefore, buildings would be low-rise at their tallest, making densely populated cities devastatingly uncomfortable. It’s hard to imagine a world without the likes of the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building, all of which utilize steel as a main construction component.

We’d have very few options for dinner.

The food we eat today has been refined in factories with steel tools, processed with steel equipment, baked in steel ovens and preserved in steel cans. It is delivered to us via steel trains on steel rails, or by steel trucks over steel-reinforced roads. As such, in a world without steel, our food sources would be limited to what could be cultivated locally and the possibility of faminewould be persistent.

Getting in touch would take for-ev-er.

(Image source: http://bit.ly/1dgLFuc)

Without steel to manufacture telephones, computers or even mail trucks, we would be stuck relying on less than efficient carrier pigeons (which were actually a thing a few thousandyears ago) or the pony express. So much for instant connection.

Reading material would be extremely limited.

(Image source: http://bit.ly/1tNFW6q)

Newspapers, magazines and books we read today are mostly printed on a steel press. Even the paper is made from wood which is cut with steel implements and processed in steel machines. Mind you, there wouldn’t be any steel-plated pens, either, so quills would be used to write and copy the material. Of course, there might be bronze movable type printing, but it would still take a very long time and amount of patience to carry out.

Disease would run rampant.

Stainless steel has contributed greatly to improved sanitation in hospitals, restaurants and other public environments, and has helped to save the lives of millions. Easy to clean, it is more hygienic, impervious to corrosion and scratch-resistant, and is capable of standing up to harsh sterilizers, heat and heavy use, preventing deadly bacteria from surviving on its surface. Without it, the constant threat of diseases such as Ebola and measles would be very real.

Unemployment would rise and the economy would crumble.

Crude steel production reached 1.66 billion tons worldwide in 2014 which only says one thing about our world… it’s growing. It’s estimated that more than 95 countries are producing steel today, with more than two million employees worldwide, and a further two million contractors and four million people in supporting fields. Without this vital industry, the world economy would suffer and many people would be without jobs.

A glimpse into the world of steel

Fortunately, we do live in a modern world where steel does exist and its importance is clear. Yet few people tend to notice it, or understand how it works. Which is why TenarisUniversity, in conjunction with the World Steel Association’s steeluniversity, has launched the massive open online course (MOOC), “Introduction to Steel.”

This lively online learning program will feature the basics of steel melting, steel’s historical and cultural context, its relationship with society and the sustainability of a world supported by steel by utilizing everyday examples, demonstrations and film footage of steel making. Additionally, it will encourage community interactions between students and the professor.

“We believe in the highest standards of education to develop people all around the world,” Rolando Lange, Director of TenarisUniversity noted. “With this MOOC, we hope students will get passionate about steel as a material and learn about the critical role it plays in our society.”

Comprised of a four-hour framework, the course is open to all free of charge. It starts on June 2 and will run for two weeks. Registration is now open. Click here to enroll in the class, or for more information.

Interview with Editor of The Birth of “Bloom in Daewoo”- the First Collected Works of Employees

Everybody is familiar with books, but what about producing a book? Right, this article is to share “Fleet of Time” collected works edited, published and produced by Daewoo Shanghai.

This book consists of over 40 essays about company events, travels, and social issues that were written by employees from 2011 to 2014. It took about two weeks to complete and left a conclusion that it is “an aggravating process with a happy ending”. Therefore, POSCO-China has interviewed Nana Ma, one of the initiators of the publication, and shared her spirit and ingenuity embodied in the book with us.

Q：What kind of book is it?

A：This book is a record of all the articles of Daewoo Shanghai employees who have been contributing to “E-Spirit” journals since 2011. The book also includes some fabulous pictures that were submitted in travel photography contests organized by the company in the past two years.

Q：Why was the book edited internally instead of finding an outsourcer?

A：When the personnel manager told me that the general manager suggested internally editing the book, I considered it as a compulsory task so I was feeling only awkward, in Chinese, “Jiong”. There are many professional agents that specialize in publishing and printing books in the market. Everything will be taken good care of as long as our requirement is clear. So I started searching for such agents. However, the problem is that 100 prints are not enough for mass production whereas the overall expense is much more than that of printing 1,000 copies. Taking into account the cost of designing the page layout and back and forth communication with the agent for modification requests, this would be a time consuming, effort demanding and costly task. Eventually, we decided to select content, compile and proofread on our own and delegate only printing task to the agent.

Q：Did you come across any difficulty during the work? How did you overcome it?

A：However, as I think further, I wondered, ‘how can it be possible?’. I am only a little office clerk and have not ever worked professionally in publishing before. How can I know about page and layout design? Despite the anxious feeling, I had to carry on the task! Working as a deputy, witnessing our personnel manager implementing the project with a calm and organized manner. With ease and a step-by-step process from gathering materials, I felt more confident af if I have taken a sedative pill and started assisting my personnel manager on the project.

(The lady on the right is Nana Ma.)

Q：And what has attracted your continued attention during the editing process?

A：We sorted out all the articles in “E-Spirit” journals and image options from travel photography contests of each year. As a next step, we designed page layouts, unified line spacings, printed out pages, made a review, and manually adjusted the image formats in each article. Then, we classified into sections based on topics, created the index, designed the cover page, thought about titles together with colleagues, proofread the content and made modification page by page. New Year messages were appended at the end of the book, with collection of our pictures, wishes and prospects for the upcoming 2015. Our two weeks battle is summarized into only a few sentences. After receiving the final prints, seeing everybody like it, I felt so proud as if I am a child receiving compliments by others. My final impression: an annoying process with a happy ending.

This content has been created by Meng Jiaxi from POSCO-China.

Meeting with Female Leader in POSCO IDPC

I had a great privilege to interview Ms. Yu-ran Seo, the Managing Director of POSCO’s India Delhi Steel Processing Center (POSCO IDPC), who has effectively positioned herself alongside with other POSCO leaders. My first interaction with Ms. Seo was back in 2010, when I was working at POSCO HQ in Seoul. She was a very elegant, charming, smart and outspoken Korean lady I had ever met. After coming to India, she has perfectly balanced her work and social life here, interacting and melting with Indian culture very well. Besides, she has been very successful in achieving her goals in the world of Steel. As a global storyteller, I would like to share my candid and impressive conversation with Ms. Seo with ‘Hello, POSCO.’

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]I[/dropcap]  joined POSCO in October 1990. I had worked in Foreign Procurement Department for the first 6 years and shifted to Export Department, where I spent most of my career. I came to settle down here in Gurgaon, India in August 2010 as a General Manager of Marketing & Sales of POSCO-IDPC. Two months ago, I was appointed to the post of Managing Director of the same company.

How is your life in India? Is it very different from Korea?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]B[/dropcap]efore coming to India, I never lived and worked overseas. So far, I have observed that India is a very dynamic country with full of opportunities. Although some of my acquaintances worry about me living abroad, I am doing really fine here. Of course it is difficult to live in somewhere as a foreigner but I don’t mind those minor inconveniences that much. I try to have fun in India and thank all the bright sides regarding more business opportunities and meeting very nice people.

What is unique about the services/products IDPC provides?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]P[/dropcap]OSCO IDPC provides a wide range of high quality steel materials in partnership with POSCO and POSCO Maharashtra. Utilizing high-end facilities like wide slitter, wide shearer, TWB and blanking machines, we supply processed steel material as well as raw steel coils. Our main customers are Marti-Suzuki, Tata Motors, Hero Motocorp., LG Electronics India and many other local OEM companies and vendors.

You have spent several years in POSCO. How has your journey been?
What lessons could you learn?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]B[/dropcap]efore joining POSCO, I never imagined that I would be working here for more than 22 years. It is really hard to put in words how wonderful the experiences were for me at POSCO. It has been a journey with many exciting moments. Also, I learned about how we should approach the concept of ‘People’ in workplaces. I personally think ‘People’ matter the most as we generate all the masterpieces as well as disasters. It may sound like clichéd but ‘Attitude’ is also very vital when working with your colleagues. These are the lessons I have learned from POSCO.

How does it feel to be a Managing Director of IDPC?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]W[/dropcap]hen I first heard the announcement, it came to me as a huge pressure and responsibility. On the other hand, I also felt happy with the fact that I can stay longer here with reliable and beloved POSCO IDPC staff. I was also excited that we could continue working together for the development of our business in line with Indian economy’s progress.

Challenge, motivation and Mantras of POSCO India’s female leader

How do you motivate yourself and stay as a successful business woman?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]I[/dropcap]n fact, I feel unfamiliar with the term ‘success’. I would rather say that I am happy to be working at where I am now, with continuous challenges, errors, frustrations and failures. Whenever I feel lost, I try to make myself resilient through reading good books or listening to inspirational music. I believe in appreciating oneself as incomplete. With such approach, you can drive yourself to learn from others and stay motivated to develop yourself.

As a female, did you experience any particular setbacks at workplace?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]T[/dropcap]here were some tough times when I was frustrated and depressed during my career in marketing field. However, I don’t think those happened because of the fact that I am a woman. I would say it was quite challenging to find the balance between work and family so as most other female Korean workers generally tackle.

POSCO encourages women empowerment and there are many young female prospects working with us. Do you have any words of wisdom for them?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]I[/dropcap]’d like to give these two Mantras, made by myself, to my fellows. That is, “Attitude is everything” and “Try to be trusty than clever.”

Yes, I totally agree with her. ‘Attitude is everything’ as it can shape our competence and career as POSCO’s future leaders. Our conversation was highly inspiring and impressive. I felt the working women in various social spectrums need to engage actively with their tasks to achieve what they want. I will be coming back to ‘Hello, POSCO’ with more news and inspiring stories from India.

On November 17th of 2012 a jocular video was uploaded on Youtube: a parody of the famous “Gangnam Style” music video of the Korean singer (now a “world star”), PSY. The parody went viral rapidly, attracting more than 10,000 views in just two days. The video shows professors and students collaborating to create what’s called “POSTECH Style.” POSTECH University (a global leader in science and technology), who sets it priorities in high-quality and high-impact education and research, the institution often exhibits an intricate and a rigid vibe. At a place like POSTECH then, it is unimaginable that students with thick glasses and piles of books hovering over them can dance this good.

Click the image blow to watch “POSTECH Style” >>

So how did this video come about? Let’s take a listen to Professor Eu-Ho Seo from the department of Industrial Engineering, who was involved in both planning and featuring of the video, showing off his “classy” “horse dance.”

“PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ has established itself to be a world-class sensation, which reminded me of POSTECH’s outlook also as a growing world-class university. As the two compatibly fit, I was certain that the parody will provide for an opportunity to draw global attention on POSTECH.”

It was the professor’s strategy and the wittiness of the students were what made the POSTECH Style possible. Those who appeared as special guests were member of the POSTECH student clubs like soccer, basketball, cheer leading, tennis, and classical music, etc. Yet, the most contribution to the video was perhaps from ‘Ctrl-D’, the dance club crews who choreographed all the dance moves in the video and pulled off astounding break-dance moves all throughout the parody.

If we have a closer look at the video, we can find various sceneries and interesting parts of the POSTECH University. At the very beginning is the POSTECH Biotech Center, which was established with the collaboration of POSTECH’s outstanding researchers of Biotech studies and POSCO’s high technology. The center helped the development of national businesses and the improvement of human welfare. To put it easy, it’s a center for researching new vaccines in curing incurable diseases such as cancer and septicemia (blood poisoning). Another spot to note in the beginning of the video is the Jigok Pond, one of POSTECH’s most famous attractions for the cherry blossoms during spring flower season. Where the POSTECH girl alike Hyuna appeared to seduce PSY was at the Tae-Joon Park Digital Library, known for it’s a spectacular design which received the Architect Award of the year. You can also see POSCO International Center where POSCO holds international scholarly conferences with scholars from all over the world.

Students and professors hope this video may create global viral like PSY’s original Gangnam Style video, with good will and common purpose. Now, are you ready to shout?

“We’re POSTECH Style!”