Consider some of the bigger shifts in the US energy industry:

The Shale Revolution

The “shale revolution” has impacted the entire energy system in the US and worldwide. Although the elements of horizontal drilling and fracking had been known for decades, it was the entrepreneurial genius of men like George Mitchell of Houston who found the way to link these technologies and apply them commercially. It resulted in the US going from a natural gas importer to an exporter of pipeline gas and LNG, an exporter of oil (but not a net exporter), and the collapse of prices for gas, LNG, oil and oil products. It reverberated throughout OPEC countries and other major producers like Russia, as well as in major importing countries. It also enabled oil and gas producers to reduce their footprint overseas and focus on domestic production opportunities.

The “shale revolution” has impacted the entire energy system in the US and worldwide. (Source: Bloomberg Business)

Coal Industry

Coal, which had been king in the middle of the last century, has been declining rapidly, losing market share to often cheaper natural gas. The improbable opportunity to ship coal to Germany provided some relief. The Trump Administration may have won the election by making promises to US coal-producing states, but having an impact on this declining industry will take more than rhetoric. While much attention has been given to anti-coal regulation it has been market forces that caused electricity producers to shift from coal to natural gas.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy faces the twin threats of obsolescence, as well as competitiveness with natural gas. The regulatory system also contributes to its decline. Many of the roughly 100 nuclear facilities operating in the US were built about 40 years ago, which means that they were due for major upgrades or retirement now. Only a few new plants are under construction, and they are massively over budget and have been built only in states with regulatory systems in which consumers must bear the cost of such overruns. Conventional wisdom had been that these plants would be upgraded and run for decades more. Instead several have announced shutdowns, and more are expected to follow. Nuclear had been considered a low-cost base fuel, but has trouble with competing with natural gas at current prices.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry (Source: Fortune)

Energy policy in the Trump Administration, led by Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, is trying to protect both coal and nuclear because of their important role as baseload producers, in contrast to wind and solar that cannot provide consistent power to the system. But it seems doubtful that regulatory mechanisms will overcome market forces.

Falling Prices

The collapse of oil and natural gas prices led to the elimination of hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide and slashing capital budgets, especially for higher-cost production such as deepwater, the Arctic, and other frontier environments. The shale play was led by small independent companies, but many of them took on too much debt, spent too much money to buy leases from mineral-rights owners, and drilled but often didn’t complete wells because of a focus on future growth. A number of them have failed financially or sold off properties. Even giants like BHP Billiton, which entered the US shale market with a USD 20 billion investment, wrote off USD 13 billion within six years. Although there continues to be substantial financing available from Wall Street, the focus has shifted from growth to cash flow. This has important implications.

But cheaper natural gas has had a positive impact in four areas:

Natural Gas and Oil Pipeline Projects

Natural gas and oil pipelines (midstream) have had a resurgence of activity, both proposed and built. To be sure there have been and continue to be strong challenges by environmental organizations. However, many pipelines have gone forward and others have been suspended because of economics rather than protest.

The U.S. went from an importer to an exporter of liquified natural gas. (Source: The Globe and Mail)

New LNG Facilities

LNG exports are a new phenomenon for the US. For years the US faced a deficit in natural gas, leading to proposals for nearly 40 LNG import facilities. Fortunately, most of them were not built, and those that were have largely become LNG export terminals. These required massive capital investment across the value chain. Greenfield facilities are now planned or under construction in multiple locations.

Expansion of Pipelines to Mexico

Pipeline gas to Mexico is little noticed by the public but the expansion has been dramatic. Despite the liberalization of the energy system in Mexico the demand for natural gas for industry and consumers, especially in Northern Mexico, is likely to continue. There is even talk about an LNG export terminal in Mexico’s Baja peninsula, to be supplied from US sources. The shadow over this is anti-immigrant policies of the Trump Administration and uncertainties related to the renegotiation of the NAFTA trade agreement. There is concern that the upcoming Presidential election in Mexico will result in an anti-US tide that might impact progress on the energy value chain.

Resurgence of the Petrochemical Industry

The petrochemical industry in the US has had a resurgence with low-cost natural gas. Approximately USD 100 billion of investment is currently underway or recently completed in the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast.

What we see here are currents moving in very different directions in the extended and complex energy supply chain in the US and internationally.

What does this mean for the steel industry?

Pipelines

Steel is literally the backbone of the US oil and gas system. Hundreds of thousands of miles of pipelines form a complex web across the continental US, in Alaska, to Canada and Mexico, and out to the Gulf of Mexico. Though mostly unseen, these pipelines enable the production and consumption of resources reliably and at affordable prices. New activity will be limited in the Gulf of Mexico for some time, with most of it focused on completing projects that were already underway. There may be some new activity in Mexican waters in the Gulf as the political opening there results in development, much of it in proximity to known fields on the US side of the border.

For example the Keystone XL pipeline, planned to bring more heavy oil from Canada, has been contentious for years for a variety of reasons including the higher carbon content of the crude and the route of the pipeline. Opponents have recently adopted a new strategy suggesting that the project is no longer economic – this is a way to undermine political support. TransCanada, the developer, insists that it is viable and on track. However, in Canada itself, plans have been abandoned for a massive oil pipeline to connect the producing area of Alberta in Western Canada to the east coast.

The Keystone XL pipeline was planned to bring heavy oil from Canada to the U.S. (Source: Horizon Supply Company)

Platforms

The offshore industry has been a major user of steel, both for platforms often built in Korea, and also for the related supply chain. Capital investment has been hardest hit in this area, and may not resume for 3-5 years until global demand increases and production growth slows.

LNG Facilities

LNG is a relative bright spot. The value chain includes the production of gas, transportation to newly-built liquefaction facilities, LNG ships, and import/regasification facilities. Lithuania recently built an LNG import facility to promote its independence from Russia. In other cases, majors like Shell, are now discussing building infrastructure in countries as diverse as South Africa and Vietnam so that they can become gas users. Japan shut its nuclear facilities after Fukushima and has been slow to reopen them. It lacks a domestic pipeline system because of the mountainous terrain and has relied on two dozen LNG import terminals. Will that create demand for new facilities?

An interesting twist is that Kinder Morgan, a leading pipeline company, has defined itself more broadly as an energy transfer organization. It had been frustrated in trying to build a natural gas pipeline from the Marcellus field in Pennsylvania to Boston, where natural gas prices are often the highest in the US. So they have decided to build LNG vessels to transport gas from terminals in Louisiana and Texas to Boston, despite restrictions imposed by the protective Jones Act that requires US vessels and crews for transport between US destinations.

LNG vessels transport LNG between terminals. (Source: World Maritime News)

Shale Gas Wells

The US shale play has been compared to a manufacturing process. Traditional development wells were expected to produce gas for years and oil sometimes for decades. But the fracking operations have a rapid decline curve which means that companies are constantly drilling new horizontal wells and are doing so for greater lengths. More than a dozen horizontal wells may stretch from a single pad. Budgets are now focused on cash flow, which means spending less on acquiring leases and more to produce oil – this results in more spending on steel.

Crude Oil Vessels

The US is now exporting about 2 million barrels of oil per day. US producers had been largely banned from exporting oil until two years ago when outdated legislation was changed. Increased domestic production and the ability to export dramatically changed shipping patterns. Nigeria had been a major exporter to the US but has forfeited the market. Saudi Aramco bought out Shell’s interest in the Motiva joint venture and took complete control of the Port Arthur refinery, the largest in the US. Many observers believe this was to assure a market for Saudi crude. Thus increased trade in oil and shifting markets may create demand for new vessels.

Petrochemical Facilities

Finally, low-cost natural gas has been a constant in the US. In addition to the new construction of petrochemical facilities along the US Gulf Coast mentioned previously, it adds the potential for a reindustrialization of the US economy that was unimaginable just a few years ago. This can cut across many industries for which power costs are a major factor. This may seem inconsistent with e-commerce, but the two may go together as mega distribution centers are built so that a growing fleet of trucks can provide same-day delivery to consumers.

There are many paradoxes in the American energy system and supply chain. For the steel industry, the key is to determine where those opportunities are located.

Bill Arnold is a professor in the practice of energy management at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. Previously, Arnold was Royal Dutch Shell’s Washington director of international government relations and senior counsel for the Middle East, Latin America and North Africa for 16 years.

Cover photo courtesy of Petroleum Economist.

Kashkadarya Governor Ruziev Zafar Sharopovich, Uzbek government officials, POSCO DAEWOO Managing Director Hyun-soo Kim, and representatives from Hyundai E&C and the Asian Development Bank were among the attendees at the completion ceremony.

The project dates back to March 2013, when Uzbekistan’s state power authorities and the POSCO DAEWOO-Hyundai E&C consortium signed a construction agreement for the 929 MW combined cycle power plant. The USD 862 million project was financed by the Asian Development Bank.

This is the biggest single-unit power plant in Uzbekistan, and will account for 6.6 percent of all the power produced in the country. The plant’s electric power will be supplied to the southern parts of Uzbekistan.

As for the construction process itself, the consortium followed a turn-key process, meaning all the operations including engineering, purchasing and construction were carried out simultaneously.  

“POSCO DAEWOO’s global network, project operation and management skills paired with Hyundai E&C’s construction skills and technology created the synergy that led to the success of this project,” said an official of the consortium. “POSCO DAEWOO plans to use this opportunity to expand its IPP projects beyond Central Asia to Latin America and Africa.”

POSCO DAEWOO is currently operating the first 30MW private capital power plant in Papua New Guinea and is working on building a second plant. Also in the works are new private capital power plant projects in Myanmar, Indonesia and Latin America. POSCO DAEWOO plans to carry out projects related to gas combined cycle power plants and solar power all over the world, and expand the power plant business to the size of 2GW in generation capacity by 2020.

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POSCO has held its annual community service tradition, the POSCO Global Volunteer Week, since 2010.  This year, from May 24 to 30, over 79,000 POSCO Group employees from 52 different countries, including Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

POSCO Group in Korea

In Korea, POSCO Group employees made home improvements for underprivileged neighborhoods, mentored local youth and had a blast painting wall murals.

In the nation’s capital of Seoul, POSCO employees cleaned up marine waste with the Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, and another group delivered freshly baked bread to the community’s elderly.

On May 30, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon and over 30 employees visited Myeongryundang of Sungkyunkwan Munmyo (a Confucian shrine), to repair and replace Korean traditional paper called Changhoji on windows and doors.

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited Munmyo, the main temple for Korean Confucianism located in Seoul, to help replace traditional Korean paper known as Changhoji

In the city of Pohang, POSCO’s volunteer groups visited Sangdo Middle School to conduct first aid and CPR training. Other volunteer groups in Gwangyang, another city in Korea where POSCO conducts business, launched a lunchbox delivery business to create jobs for the elderly and held classes for women for minority communities.

POSCO Group Across the Globe

POSCO subsidiaries in Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., also took part in Global Volunteer Week.

In Turkey, POSCO ASSAN TST employees opened a Korean culture school for local elementary school students in March. During Global Volunteer Week, Students got to try on traditional Korean clothing called hanbok and volunteers built a playground made out of recycled tires for the kindergarten students.   

POSCO-Vietnam carried out activities to improve the environment of the POSCO steel village and installed safety bars in the POSCO steel bridge. POSCO-VST employees visited local orphanages to deliver healthy meals and deftly handled some exterior painting.

In the U.S., employees at POSCO-America gathered to clean up Centennial Olympic Park. The Detroit office went to the local food bank to distribute food to underprivileged neighborhoods and the Houston office cleaned up the memorial parks in the neighborhood to contribute to their respective local communities.

As one of the world’s leading steelmakers, POSCO will continue its efforts to contribute to global sustainable development by not only developing eco-friendly technologies but also giving back to local communities.

As a result, in December of the same year, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that China formally entered an era of xin chang tai. In English, the term translates to “new normal” or “a new state of normality.” His statement acknowledged the nation’s slowing growth and addressed the need to create a growth structure centered on investment and innovation.

China’s “new normal” is about transitioning to this new way of growth. Changes in the country’s economic fundamentals, including the “new normal” market environment, also apply to the Chinese steel industry. As a result, the industry, too, is searching for new solutions.

Shifting Gears

Over the past few decades, the Chinese economy grew at unprecedented rates, which caused a variety of problems both domestically and internationally. Rapid growth was accompanied by adverse effects, such as regional and socioeconomic inequality, environmental pollution, abuse of natural resources and overcapacity.

In the “new normal” era, China aims to address current economic and social issues while seeking growth through innovation. To achieve this goal, Xi Jinping created a five step “new normal” plan.

The first step is to adopt new technologies and business models to increase the utilization of private capital and the diversification of investment sources. The second step is to satisfy a broad spectrum of consumer demands. The third is to focus on high-tech industries to attract foreign capital. The fourth is to reinforce quality-based market competition structures. And finally, according to the five-point plan, there will be a strong emphasis on conserving resources and protecting the environment.

The Three Lows

The “new normal” era signals a major economical shift for China. The far reaching changes in the nation’s economic fundamentals are characterized by “three lows.”

The first low involves China’s steel production and consumption. Both of these areas are facing low growth, and an early peak is considered to be fast approaching, according to experts. The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) estimates that the country’s crude steel production recorded negative growth in 2015 for the first time since 2000.

Second, steel prices have been declining steadily, due to oversupply related to overcapacity, intensified price competition and pressure from the excess supply of iron ore. China’s crude steel production led the global “raw materials super cycle” in the 2000s, but its slowdown is gradually freezing demand for iron ore.

Third, China’s steel industry is transitioning from a period of low profit to a period of zero margins. The industry’s pretax profit margin was as high as 8 percent in 2007, but the figure has barely remained above zero in recent years, recording 0.04 percent in 2012, 0.48 percent in 2013 and 0.85 percent in 2014.

Transforming China

In the new era, China’s steel industry aims to overcome crises through four major strategies. First, steel companies are actively building overseas production bases and seeking export markets to relieve domestic oversupply. Second, steel companies are pursuing survival through integration that transcends ownership schemes and regional borders.

Companies are also fostering non-steel businesses to make up for the faltering steel market. CISA estimates that China’s steel industry derived over 90 percent of its gross profit from non-steel businesses in 2013 and 2014.

Finally, the steel industry is improving profitability through advanced technology and improved product quality. Additionally, it is increasing brand power, upgrading operation technologies and making drastic changes to business models.

Developing these areas is important because, according to experts, the competitiveness of the steel industry now depends on advanced operation technologies, brand innovation and IT services more than ever.

The Future of Steel in China

A CISA representative forecasted massive transformations in China’s steel industry. Two of the major projected changes expected to occur in the next five to ten years are increased exports and entry into overseas markets. These signs of change are already visible, as the Chinese government recently opened the doors of its steel industry to foreign capital.

Exports have soared due to the depressed domestic steel market, and government policies to move steel facilities overseas are being put into effect. Experts agree that this move will have a positive impact on China’s steel industry.

The Chinese steel market is expected to expand further, as steel companies are predicted to double their efforts to increase exports and enter overseas markets. The opening of the nation’s steel industry will no doubt bring about changes for the global steel market, especially considering that China makes up half of it.

Related Link:

In Southeast Asia, Surging Imports Lead to Rising Trade Barriers

The Future of Manufacturing in Korea

The Evolution of the Steel Production Process

The Myth and Reality of Global Steel Overcapacity

POSRI Releases First Edition of Bi-Annual English Journal “Asian Steel Watch”

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POSCO E&C constructs combined cycle power plant and gas terminal in Colon

The power generation capacity of Colon CCPP—380MW—is the largest in Panama. The plant is located in Colon, which lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal and is about 60km north of Panama City, the capital of the country. POSCO E&C will also construct a gas terminal with a storage capacity of 180,000㎥. Power produced from the Colon combined cycle power plant can be supplied to around 15 million households simultaneously, which will ensure a stable supply to the industrial complex near the Panama Canal and Colon area.

Despite weak global economic conditions, POSCO E&C achieves total value of $5.6 billion in Latin America within 10 years

POSCO E&C has been highly praised for the proven quality of power plant construction technology in Latin America over the past decade. The company was awarded the contract after a fierce competition with prominent EPC companies.

Despite tough market conditions, including low oil prices, POSCO E&C clinched the deal following a series of orders won in the Philippines and Chile last December. This achievement is expected to solidify POSCO E&C as one of the major players in the energy plant market in the Latin American region.

Meanwhile, POSCO E&C made its first inroad into Latin America in 2006, with the construction of a coal-fired power plant (CFPP) in Ventanas, Chile, which was awarded by AES. It was the first time for a Korean construction company to build a power plant in Latin America. Since then, POSCO E&C have successively won construction contracts of Campiche and Angamos CFPP in Chile (2007) and Kallpa and Chilca Uno CCPP in Peru (2009), achieving a total value of $5.6 billion in Latin America over 10 years.

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Just about everything – from the roof over your head to the device you’re reading this on – contains steel. It is one of the most commonly used materials in the world and has been for quite some time.

World crude steel production added up to about 1.662 billion tons in 2014, based on the 2014 World Crude Steel Production Performances reported by the World Steel Association (worldsteel). Yet despite these numbers, the outlook for the steel industry suggests slow growth for global steel demand, which is mostly a result of the deceleration in China and structural adjustments in most world economies.

Nevertheless, The World Steel Association’s Short Range Outlook (SRO) for 2015 and 2016 notes that even though the growth is expected to be slow, demand is still growing. They forecast that the apparent steel growth will increase by 0.5% in 2015 and 1.4% in 2016. Additionally, in developing and emerging nations, there is an increased optimism for growth, as the steel markets are beginning to exhibit the characteristics of mature markets.

For more information on The World Steel Association’s expected outcomes for 2015 and 2016, click here.

So, which countries claim the spots of the world’s top steel producers for now? Read on to find out and to learn some interesting steel-related facts about each.

5. South Korea

Crude Steel Production: 71 million tons

Interesting Fact:

Rising 270 meters above sea level, The Yi Sun-shin Bridge was opened in 2012 and links the cities of Gwangyang and Yeosu. It is the first suspension bridge to be made solely with Korean state-of-the-art technology and equipment, including 26,000 tons of steel rods and 24,000 tons of steel products. Extending 2,260 meters, it is the longest in Korea and the fourth longest in the world, surpassing even the Golden Gate Bridge. (Source: http://bit.ly/1crFdzx)

4. India

Crude Steel Production: 83.2 million tons

Interesting Fact:

The Lotus Temple, a Bahá’í House of Worship, is one of Delhi’s most iconic architectural feats and was designed in the form of a lotus flower to symbolize the religion’s cornerstones of purity and simplicity. The lotus has three sets of leaves or petals which are made out of thin concrete shells. At the top, a glass and steel roof provides protection from the elements and facilitates the entry of natural light. The temple also utilizes a number of steel reinforcements and structural steel staging. (Source: http://bit.ly/1zWQCTh)

3. United States

Crude Steel Production: 88.3 million tons

Interesting Fact:

In 1943, more than 1 billion pennies were made with steel because the United States was, at the time, engaged in World War II and copper was being rationed to make artillery. Steel pennies weigh 2.70 grams and are fairly lighter than traditional copper Lincoln pennies that weigh 3.11 grams. Today, these pennies are quite popular among coin collectors and are worth about 25-75 cents each. (Source: http://bit.ly/1cooLjx)

2. Japan

Crude Steel Production: 110.7 million tons

Interesting Fact:

Tokyo Tower, a communications and observation tower in Japan’s capital city, was built in 1958. It was constructed of steel, a third of which was scrap metal taken from 90 US tanks damaged in the Korean War. At 4,000 tons, it is significantly lighter than the Eiffel Tower, which weighs 7,000 tons, a result of exceptional advances in construction technology and steel manufacturing. (Source: http://bit.ly/1K3tHbS)

1. China

Crude Steel Production: 822.7 million tons

Interesting Fact:

The Chinese were the first people to combine carbon and iron to make steel. They’ve been making it since the first century BC in blast furnaces powered by the Asian monsoon winds. In recent years, they’ve become the world’s largest producer of steel, and consume twice as much steel as the US, Europe and Japan combined. (Source: http://bit.ly/1KzAKpG)

Production rates according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) 2014 World Crude Steel Production Performances.

Home to a promising market and a booming economy, Asia is definitely the world’s hottest region nowadays. It’s also becoming more and more commonplace for people around the globe to consider Asia as their next vacation destination. From the Taj Mahal to the Great Wall, Asia is full of wonderful and mysterious places to visit. Let’s have a quick look at some of the wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Asia! 

#1 Taj Mahal (India)

(Photo courtesy of wikimedia, http://bit.ly/1w3S8dU)

Regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, Taj Mahal is considered by many historians to be the most beautiful architectural masterpiece in history. Taj Mahal was built by Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dear wife and Queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. Listed as a World Heritage in 1983, the stunning palace is known to present its finest at dawn and sunset.

#2 Great Wall (China)

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia, http://bit.ly/1sA7rLm)

The Great Wall of China is a truly mammoth structure. The entire length of the wall is said to be 21,196km long, almost half the circumference of planet Earth! If you’re like most travelers and can’t walk that much, then stop by the most famous part of the Great Wall at Jinshanling, built by the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang.

#3 Angkor (Cambodia)

(Photo’s courtesy of pixaboy, http://bit.ly/1n9Hxst)

The stunningly mysterious ancient complex used to be the capital of the Khmer empire, which dominated mainland South-East Asia for centuries. The name “Angkor” derives from Sanskrit, meaning “city”. Let yourself be awed following the architectural footsteps of the ancients.

How many of these famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites have you visited? There are still so many more sites to introduce, but today, Hello, POSCO has prepared one particular recommendation: Namhansanseong in Korea. Shall we take a virtual tour to the historic monument that has been newly listed as a World Heritage Site in 2014?

In the Bucket List: 2014 UNESCO World Heritage Site Namhansanseong

(Photo’s courtesy of Wikimedia, http://bit.ly/1mLJykv)

Namhansanseong has been newly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, making it one of the hottest places to visit in Korea along with Gyeongbokgung(ancient royal palace), Bukchon Hanok Maeul(village of traditional houses), Namdaemun Market(bustling market in front of an ancient guard tower), and Insadong(traditional folk village). On May, beneficiaries of the POSCO Asia Fellowship Program, a scholarship program by POSCO TJ Park Foundation, visited Namhansanseong and were awed by its splendor.

[box] POSCO TJ Park Foundation & POSCO Asia Fellowship

POSCO demonstrates its commitment to being a socially responsible corporation through the POSCO TJ Park Foundation. The foundation promotes POSCO’s global citizenship through the management of various structured programs. Among the foundation’s programs are: POSCO Asia Fellowship, which goal is to promote understanding and mutual growth among Asian nations; POSCO TJ Park Prize, which is awarded to those who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of science, education and volunteer work; and TJ Park Science Fellowship, which supports the research of basic scientists in Korea.

The POSCO Asia Fellowship program is a scholarship program that supports prospective leaders of Asia by providing tuition and living expenses to young intellectuals from Asian countries as they enroll for Master’s or Doctoral courses at some of the prestigious Korean universities and institutions and learn more about various aspects of Korean society and culture. Whereas scholarships in Korea are generally designed to benefit Koreans who wish to study abroad, this project is unique in that it brings non-Korean Asian students to Korea to help them establish intimate relationships with the Korean society. The Foundation believes that this program will not only enhance the participants’ expertise in their individual fields of study, but also help them grow as global leaders and provide them with a deeper understanding of Korea by giving them opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge of the people and the culture. [/box]

Places to visit at Namhansanseong 

The POSCO Asia Fellowship scholars took Route #1, otherwise known as “the road of history and life” at Namhansanseong. The 3.8km-long route takes 80minutes to finish, so it’s the best course for beginners looking for a short and easy walk.

Sueojangdae: The Command Tower

Sueojangdae (Photo’s courtesy of Gyeonggi Province Blog, http://bit.ly/1jfzxeC) 

Sueojangdae, or the Command Tower, is located at the west of Namhansanseong. The two-story tower, built to command the army and investigate the enemy from afar, is the only remaining tower left in the fortress. The signboard on the 2^nd floor that reads Mumangru (“Never Forget”) was written by King Youngjo himself, as a reminder of the humiliating defeat of the Manchu War of 1636. During the War, then King Injo was forced to bow three times to the Manchu King, and his son Hyojong was sent away as prisoner for 8 years. The words “Never Forget” on the signboard embodies King Youngjo’s determination to seek revenge for the humiliating historic incident.

Seoammun: The Secret Passage beneath the Command Tower

Beneath the Command Tower, the students discovered the secret passage “Seoammun”. The passage was something they had never seen before, and the students became immersed in Korean culture by sneaking into the passage themselves

For more information on recommended routes and locations, check out the official Namhansanseong homepage here (Link)

Epilogue: POSCO Asia Fellowship Scholars share their impressions of Namhansanseong  

After their visit to Namhansanseong, the POSCO Asia Fellowship Scholars felt their love and understanding of Korean culture grow. Let’s take a look at the comments from some of the students after the tour!

“It was a great opportunity to enjoy a beautiful view and the awesome Namhansanseong. We don’t have anything like this in Kazakhstan. More than anything, I was smitten by the Korean full course meal we had after sightseeing. I’m deep in love with Korea now. Spasibo (Thank You), POSCO!” – Rafael Vecsentayev ( Graduate School of Sogang University, Kazakhstan)

“I think Mongolia and Korea are similar in many ways. The people look similar, and they both emphasize the importance of living in harmony with Mother Nature. These similarities make me feel more at home in Korea. I sincerely thank POSCO and the TJ Park Foundation for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I’ll study harder!“ –Undra Erdenesot (Graduate School of Seoul National University, Mongolia)

“The Great Wall of China is much larger than Namhansanseong, but is less in harmony with the surrounding nature. Namhansanseong has a truly beautiful view” – Yuriwan (Seoul  National University, China)
 

If you haven’t put Namhansanseong in your travel bucket list for Korea yet, now’s the time to do it!  Have a wonderful and meaningful time learning about Korean history and culture at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Namhansanseong!