The 2024 Global Volunteer Week, POSCO’s special volunteer service event, was held from May 23 to 31. More than 20,000 POSCO employees in Korea and other countries participated in large-scale volunteer work to practice sharing. POSCO Newsroom has taken vivid photos of the volunteer activities carried out by overseas subsidiary employees worldwide. Let’s meet them!

▲ The center director of POSCO-TNPC and eight employees made and delivered a donation set (including a 2-month supply of diapers) to support low-income families such as single mothers and disabled children at the Women’s Support Center in Bursa. It was meaningful in that the costs of the donated sets were funded by savings in electricity bills and costs associated with replacing the company’s LEDs and purchasing waste paper collection boxes.

▲ POSCO-ASSAN TST employees visited a kindergarten near its head office, created a new playground using waste wood, and performed environmental improvement by repainting old play equipment.

▲ POSCO-PWPC visited a nearby organization for disabled children and held an event to promote Korean culture through Korean language classes. The 10 participating employees communicated with the children by teaching them simple Korean greetings and writing their names in Korean.

▲ Four POSCO-Brazil employees conducted environmental cleanup activities at Bosque de Barra Park in downtown Rio de Janeiro on May 28.

▲ POSCO-Mexico employees volunteered to make bread at the Hope Center in downtown Altamira with officials from the Tamaulipas State Department of Welfare. This volunteer activity was especially meaningful in that employees and their families participated.

▲ Employees of four POSCO-MPPC factories carried out various volunteer activities for nine days. Employees of Factory 1 visited a local daycare center, painted classroom walls and floors, and cleaned vegetables and fruits to be delivered to nearby neighbors in need at a food bank. Employees of Factory 2 visited the government agency DIF and donated walkers, canes, and computers. They also visited a public kindergarten and donated playground equipment and computers. Employees of Factory 3 painted a government-supported soup kitchen, and those of Factory 4 visited a local orphanage and donated chairs.

▲ POSCO-MVWPC’s 42 employees visited a local school to paint the exterior walls of the school buildings and replace floor tiles, creating comfortable areas throughout the school to encourage students’ learning activities.

▲ All 52 employees of the AAPC Factory in the United States collected waste around each business site as part of their environmental cleanup activities.

▲ POSCO-America’s nine employees visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects and collected trash around the tombstone.

▲ POSCO-Australia employees held a joint event with KCCA, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and discussed plans for charity activities, and 55 members and their families participated in a charity walking competition to support children with neuroblastoma and completed a 5-kilometer walking course.

▲ POSCO-Western Australia employees conducted environmental cleanup by collecting trash around the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia and cleaned pollutants from the monument.

▲ Thirty-five members of the Mexican Trading Corporation’s volunteer group visited a child and youth protection center in Mexico City, donated various items, and interacted with the children by playing piñata, a traditional Mexican game. (Right) Eight members of the POSCO International Mexico Motor Core Corporation visited a nearby elementary school, presented a first aid kit, cleaning supplies, and school supply sets, and held a tree planting ceremony.

▲ (Left) Nine members of a volunteer group at POSCO International Brazil’s Sao Paulo office donated relief goods for recovery from a flood to victims of heavy rain in Ihu Grande do Sul, Brazil. (Right) Eleven members of the POSCO International BA branch’s volunteer group donated daily necessities and served dinner to low-income and disabled families in a slum in Buenos Aires.

▲ (Left) Eight members of the Bogota branch visited the Red Cross in Bogota and practiced love for their neighbors by donating blood. (Right) Five members of the Panama branch’s volunteer group visited the Panama Canal Miraflores Visitor Center to collect trash and carry out environmental cleanup activities.

▲ Volunteer groups at the German and Italian trading corporations visited a park near the head office and carried out environmental cleanup activities.

▲One hundred and nineteen members of the Uzbek Cotton Corporation’s volunteer group carried out environmental cleaning activities inside and outside the corporation’s factory and around the Fergana region.

▲ (Left) Five members of the Dammam branch’s volunteer group visited nearby Al Khor Beach and carried out environmental cleanup activities on the shore by collecting trash discarded by tourists. (Right) Six members of the Cairo branch’s volunteer group planted 20 lemon trees and 20 pomegranate trees around El Horreya Women’s Hospital.

▲ Eight members of the Johannesburg branch’s volunteer group carried out environmental cleanup activities by picking up trash around the branch office and removing fallen leaves that had been neglected for a long time.

▲ Eleven members of the Tokyo head office’s volunteer group planted flowers in flower beds at nearby Tsukiji River Ginza Park, cleaned up the area around the park, visited a senior center to clean balconies and windows on each floor and organized the garden.

▲ Members of the Osaka branch’s volunteer group visited a nearby orphanage and provided necessary items such as strollers, car seats, and rice and served meals to the homeless in the park.

▲ (Left) Thirteen members of the Nagoya branch’s volunteer group carried out environmental cleanup activities in the Nagoya Castle area. (Right) Twenty-six members of the Beijing branch’s volunteer group visited a nearby senior welfare center to donate necessary items, make meat dumplings, and serve a warm dinner to local seniors living alone.

▲ (Left) Five members of the Qingdao branch’s volunteer group visited a nearby cherry farm, helped with the harvest, purchased cherries produced by the farm, and donated them to a local nursing home. (Right) Six members of the Wuhan branch’s volunteer group visited a childcare facility and presented daily necessities and study materials to the children.

▲ (Left) POSCO-CORE’s volunteer group visited the Yanzi Lake’s Ecological Park near the company and carried out environmental cleanup activities. (Right) Forty-five members of PT. BIA’s volunteer group collected trash around the residences of Papua Palm Farm employees and maintained drainage channels.

▲ (Left) Eleven members of the Labor-Management Council-PT. BIA corporation’s volunteer group donated children’s art supplies to a kindergarten near the company. (Right) Five members of PT. KPE’s volunteer group delivered donations needed to cook lunch boxes to Sewan Village in Indonesia and then participated in cooking.

▲(Left) Twelve members of the Indonesia E&P Corporation’s volunteer group visited a major park in Jakarta and carried out environmental cleanup activities, collecting various types of trash. (Right) Twenty members of the MPCC volunteer group of the Myanmar PRC Corporation and hotel corporation donated 35 sacks of rice and towels for two months to Agape Orphanage Center and carried out residential environment improvement activities by replacing old roofs.

▲(Left) One hundred and twenty-nine members of the Gas Field Operations Office’s volunteer group visited the Yangon Education Center for the Blind and donated braille printing paper, shampoo, toothpaste, and various snacks. (Right) Thirteen members of the Singapore Trading Corporation’s volunteer group carried out volunteer work at the Lions Befrienders Senior Welfare Center by packing and donating goodie bags containing daily necessities such as ramen, canned food, biscuits, and toiletries.

▲(Left) Ten members of the Indian Motor Core corporation’s volunteer group provided snacks and school supplies to boarding schools for children from single-parent and low-income families. Twelve members of the Manila branch’s volunteer group carried out environmental cleanup activities at Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach. (Right) Seven members of the Sydney branch’s volunteer group participated in activities to remove parasitic trees and preserve native trees to protect the forest at the Field of Mars Reserve in Sydney.

Although the regions, environments, and languages ​​are different,
the hearts of POSCO Group executives and employees have become one through ‘sharing.’
POSCO Group’s volunteer activities for coexistence with the local community will continue in the future.
We ask for your interest and support!

This year, the Corporate Knights released their 13th annual Global 100 list, examining the sustainability efforts of about 4,000 companies with a market value of at least $2 billion. Their methodology looked at 14 key performance indicators (KPIs) covering environmental, social, and financial performance metrics.

The following list looks at the leaders of several industries and what they are doing to remain competitive in today’s challenging market.  

#1 in Metals & Mining – POSCO (#35 overall)

The metals & mining industry is typically associated with high emissions due to the high energy consumption required. POSCO is the only corporation listed in the mining & metals industry, ranking 35th among all corporations across all industries.

[clickToTweet tweet=”POSCO strives to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing and smart factory solutions.” quote=”POSCO strives to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing and smart factory solutions.” theme=”style6″]

POSCO has made significant efforts to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing. Through its smart factory technology, POSCO has refined its production processes, which reduces waste, improves quality, and ensures employee safety. POSCO’s World Premium Product PosMAC has proven to be an ideal solution for solar panels due to its lightweight and durable properties (even being used on floating solar panel farms). More recently, POSCO’s innovations in advanced high strength steels for automobiles have made it the material of choice for automakers looking for low emissions, sustainable solution.

Venturing out beyond the steel sector POSCO developed innovative solutions in the lithium rechargeable battery industry. Its new extraction method takes anywhere from 8 hours up to one month (a significant improvement over previous technologies that took anywhere from 12-18 months). This new technology is also able to extract lithium with a purity rate of 99.9% and increases the recovery rate to over 80% – which reduces the resources needed for extraction making the process more sustainable and eco-friendly.

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon holds lithium carbonate that was extracted using POSCO’s newly advanced technology that reduces time and the resources needed for extraction.

Beyond steel production, POSCO subsidiaries all over the world work to improve the communities around them. Every year more than 80,000 POSCO employees participate in Global Volunteer Week all over the globe, providing support and assistance to those who need it most. POSCO also sponsors the Beyond program, giving university students the opportunity to give back by helping build homes for those in need.       

In addition to The Global 100, POSCO has been listed on the SAM-Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 straight years (2005-2016), and World Steel Dynamics (WSD) has named POSCO the most competitive steelmaker in the world for seven years running since 2010. POSCO also recently received awards for its CSR work in China and Southeast Asia.

#1 in Auto Industry – BMW (#16 overall)

For an industry in the midst of radical change and an effort to reposition itself to be more sustainable, BMW leads the group and ranks as the 16th most sustainable corporation.

Sustainability has been an integral piece of the BMW Group’s culture and corporate strategy for decades. In 1973, they became the first automaker to appoint an environmental officer. In 2001, they committed to the United Nations Environment Programme as well as the UN Global Compact and the Cleaner Production Declaration. Today, BMW has a Sustainability Board that defines the strategic alignment through binding targets.

Automated machines work on the assembly line, helping to reduce waste and improve product quality.

The Global 100 specifically noted BMW’s holistic approach in encouraging sustainable production throughout its entire value chain. This includes not just environmental protection, but also supply chain sustainability, employee orientation, and social commitment.

In South Carolina, BMW’s plant uses methane gas from a nearby landfill to generate the power and heat needed for production. In South Africa, they operate a biogas-fuelled heat and power station by processing waste from local cattle and chicken farms.

From planning to production to disposal & recycling, the BMW Group has been dedicated to making each step more sustainable. Apart from advancing electromobility technology in their vehicles, BMW has pushed to purchase raw materials from environmentally and socially friendly sources, reduce environmentally damaging waste water, and use transport vehicles with lower emissions.

BMW sees its future growth as dependent on its ability to become a more sustainable company. Their vision is to be “the most successful and sustainable premium provider of individual mobility” and the measures they have taken are proof of their commitment.

#1 in Industry – Siemens AG (#1 overall)

German industrial conglomerate, Siemens AG, is a major player in the healthcare, energy, industrial, and infrastructure sectors. Siemens defines sustainable development as “the means to achieve profitable and long-term growth…while striving to balance people, environment, and profit.” All of their efforts helped them to be ranked as the most sustainable corporation in the world by the Global 100.

Siemens efforts to cut its carbon footprint in half by 2020 and to be completely carbon neutral by 2030 were a significant factor of its #1 spot. Currently, 50% of energy consumption in Germany come from green energy sources, cutting its 2016 carbon emissions by more than 200,000 metric tons. In the United States, only 20% of its energy comes from renewable sources, but Siemens is on track to have all of its US sites use clean energy sources by 2020. Overall, Siemens plans to shrink its emissions by 750,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2020.

In Thailand, three SGT-400 industrial gas turbines each drive a Siemens barrel-type compressor.

In addition to its commitment to cut its carbon emissions, the Corporate Knights noted Siemens’ efforts to improve the efficiency of energy and water usage, responsible approach to paying taxes, significant investments in innovation, low employee turnover and strong female board representation. More than 30% of the Siemens supervisory board are women and they remain committed to seeing higher representation at lower levels of management as well.

Earlier this year, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited Siemens in Germany to learn more about Siemens’ advanced manufacturing technologies and smart factory solutions. Its plant in Amberg is a model smart factory thanks to its 1,000 sensors used to connect its IOT technology, that makes it possible to check for abnormalities at each stage of the production process. These sensors can also stop the production line if any defective products are found and replace them with new ones. Also, with the ability to analyze 50 million pieces of process information per day, Siemens is continuously optimizing its production processes to ensure the lowest possible rate of defects.

POSCO remains committed to working with partners like Siemens while continuing to optimize its plants and processing centers to be more sustainable for its customers, employees, and partners.

In particular, through the recent zero-tariff measures taken among ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) member states and the Thai government’s push for more eco-friendly cars, the market is expected to see high growth potential with an expanded annual production capacity of 2.8 million by 2020.

POSCO TCS is positioned to take advantage of Thailand’s growing auto market.

Due to the growing auto market in Thailand, demand for automotive steel is also on the rise. Thai car makers all prefer to receive materials from local suppliers, so steel companies have begun building subsidiaries in the area.

POSCO TCS Opens in Thailand

In August of last year, POSCO TCS opened near Bangkok with a production capacity of 450,000 tons. With a local supply facility in Southeast Asia, POSCO can provide steel to automakers and parts manufacturers at more affordable rates and with higher quality control.

Chotika Arusawat (Procurement, left) explains the tax benefits for locally produced steel at POSCO TCS.

Chotika Arunsawat in the Procurement Department noted that “If automakers in the Southeast Asian region import POSCO steel from Korea they need to pay over 17% in taxes, but with POSCO TCS, they pay 0%. Also, the nearby Laem Chabang Port is one of the busiest container ports in the world making shipments to Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia quick and simple.”

Having a local facility allows POSCO to build stronger strategic partnerships by smoothly supplying materials to global automakers and parts manufacturers in one of the largest car markets in the world. Narisara Im-Tua, who works in the Sales Department, told us that 85% of the steel products coming off the line were going to car makers and auto parts manufacturers, making POSCO TCS one of the largest steel suppliers in the region.

POSCO TCS is Defined by Superior Quality & Service

The plan to develop POSCO TCS began in 2011 with construction starting in 2014. When POSCO TCS went online in August 2016, other steel companies had already entered the market. However, POSCO is using its strategic advantages in production technologies, automotive steel expertise, and advanced production facilities to gain an upper hand.   

POSCO TCS President Lee Jin-soo says he is optimistic about the future of POSCO TCS in Thailand and the Southeast Asian.

In a recent interview, POSCO TCS President Lee Jin-soo noted that “POSCO is currently implementing systematic technology support with knowledge gleaned from other automotive steel facilities in Mexico, Indonesia, and China. Although other companies may have a head start, the future for POSCO TCS is looking bright due to our superior facilities and higher quality.”

To be a leader in the Southeast Asian region, POSCO TCS realizes it must manufacture superior products and offer better service than its competitors. Lee emphasized that POSCO TCS is “competing in the same industry to serve the same clients alongside some of the world’s best. Every employee at POSCO TCS must be devoted to securing a competitive advantage in all aspects of business.”

When asked how POSCO TCS can compete with other steel companies that have been in the region longer, Narisara Im-Tua stated matter-of-factly, “Because our quality is so high.” She added that POSCO TCS sends samples to Korea every 1-2 weeks for quality certificates and because of their consistently high-quality ratings, automotive customers are very happy.

Piyakun Boonmee (HR) explains POSCO’s commitment to quality for its customers.

Piyakun Boonmee in HR recounted the story of when a customer called Sales about a product that was not fitting in with their production process. The Sales Department reacted immediately, sending the Customer Service Department to the customer’s facility to check the product and production line. POSCO came back and worked to fine-tune the product so that it fit the customer’s specific production needs.

Boonmee stated that POSCO TCS customers “can contact our Customer Service Department at any time if there are any perceived quality issues. Our Quality Control Department will go directly to the customer’s factory to check the product and the production line. We work together with the customer to fine-tune the product until we are sure it meets the customer’s needs.”

A Culture of Trust & Leadership

We asked employees how POSCO TCS could maintain such high standards and quality for its products while also building strong relationships with its customers and employees. The most common response was about the healthy working environment.  

President Lee Jin-soo told us that “If you are respectful and considerate of everyone, employees are better able to work together and build a great product – regardless of cultural barriers or where they are from. For better performance, we empower them with training and the skills they need to succeed and we take care of any issues with respect.”  

Also, at POSCO TCS each employee is provided with 30-40 hours of training per year. These classes include everything from leadership and communications to learning Korean.

Everyone agreed that POSCO TCS was a great place to work, making it easier to work together for the customer.

When asked what it was like to work at POSCO TCS, Piyakun Boonmee said, “At POSCO TCS we are like a family and it is a happy place to work. Even though we work in separate teams, we are not separate, we work together for the customer – always striving to learn more and do better.”

Boonmee added, “In the future if we continue working like a family, we will be the #1 company in Thailand. After that, we’ll be number #1 in Southeast Asia. And we all share that goal.”

Throughout April & May, The Steel Wire will explore the uses and benefits of POSCO GIGA STEEL and what POSCO is doing to lead the industry with new automotive steel solutions.  Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

During the review, committee members took note of how Kwon strengthened the company’s corporate structure which he initiated through extensive restructuring, increased the company’s profitability and gave the Korean steel industry a more competitive edge. In fact, from 2013-2014, POSCO’s operating profit increased by 19% from KRW 2.6 trillion won to KRW2.2 trillion won – while its operating margin also improved from 7.3% to 10.8%.

Kwon also received positive remarks for the company’s record-low debt ratio of 17.4% as of the end of last year, the highest volume of global premium products, the successful restructuring of 126 affiliates, and a 55% rise in the company’s stock price.

The committee made recommendations for continued success, which included reforming the company’s non-steel businesses, fostering the growth of junior executives, and breathing new life into the manager training process – all of which Kwon vowed to carry out in his next term.

At the end of the extensive review, it was unanimously decided that Kwon remains as CEO for the next 3-year term. He will be re-elected on March 10 after a general meeting with shareholders and a resolution of the board of directors.

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In addition to working as a sales engineer in Indonesia and Singapore for two years starting from 1993, Lee was also in charge of establishing technology strategies for automotive steel sheets as well as producing Tailor Welded Blanks (TWB) at the Gwangyang steel mill. Already equipped with knowledge of cold rolled steel products and automotive steel plates, Lee was able to build two manufacturing centers in Mexico, POSCO-MPPC plant 1 and POSCO-MPPC plant 2. He made big contributions in stabilizing the plants during their early stages while working as the Director of Production for CGL (Continuous Galvanizing Line) 1 and 2 in Mexico, which was POSCO’s very first overseas construction.

Lee, who has successfully completed the construction of Thailand CGL last May, said, “I would like to compete in the Southeast Asian market with our unique POSCO style.” POSCO Today had a chance to speak with Lee directly and hear about his goal of creating the best CGL in Southeast Asia, specifically through taking full advantage of POSCO employees’ work capabilities.

What is the background behind the construction of Thailand CGL and what are some of its expected outcomes in the future?

Thailand has not only positioned itself as the base for the automotive industry in Southeast Asia, but it is also known as the center of the manufacturing for products like home appliances. Speaking of the automotive industry, Japanese automobile companies, which entered the Thai market during the 1960s, currently occupy over 90% of the total automobile production, and these companies all share a demand to receive material supplies from local suppliers. In order to meet such needs and to expand the market further, Japanese steel companies, such as NSSMC and JFE, have entered the Thai market and have been operating CGLs since 2013.

POSCO, which provides around 150,000~200,000 tons of galvanized steel sheets to Thailand every year, has also entered the Thai market in order to provide stable supplies for its existing clients and to further expand the market. This will be accomplished through fulfilling localization needs for the material supply and demand of the Southeast Asian clients, and responding proactively to the recently heightening commerce regulations.

Moreover, with the launch of the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) last December, it is expected that POSCO will be able to provide an extended supply of its high-quality plating materials to even intra-regional countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

What differentiates POSCO’s technologies and products from those of Japanese and other international companies?

Although NSSMC and JFE have been operating CGLs since 2013, they are still facing some quality issues. This is not because Japanese steel companies fall behind in terms of their technology, but because of their lack of global experience and inadequate ability in operating overseas production corporations.

POSCO, however, is currently implementing systematic technology support at a favorable time, based on the CGL operation know-hows learned from previous CGL locations, such as Mexico, Indonesia and China. POSCO is also working to standardize operation methods in more detail for employees. Although POSCO may not have been able to get a head start in terms of operating CGLs, the future for POSCO is looking bright from facility and quality aspects.

Tell us about POSCO’s unique marketing strategy in the Southeast Asian market, including Thailand.

Thailand CGL was established in order to stably produce automotive steel sheets and to provide highly competent materials to regional clients. Prior to providing automotive steel sheets, however, a quality certification from each automobile company is required, which usually takes about 1.5~2 years.

Therefore, until quality certification is acquired, POSCO plans on creating profit and expanding its contract base through differentiating the quality of GI products for home appliances and painting, areas in which our competitors are having a hard time producing for.

There is also a number of small local automobile companies in Thailand. These companies do not have an established material buying channel, and they cannot even attempt to establish a relationship with a large steel company like POSCO due to their outdated technology. POSCO, therefore, plans to provide manufacturing technologies, such as mold technology, and automotive steel sheet buying channels for these small local companies through Thailand CGL, which will also allow POSCO to expand its contract base based on a solution marketing system.

What is your plan in terms of creating a synergy with local employees?

No one should be treated differently, no matter where you are from. By all means, standards for employee management should not differ by one’s country or region of origin.

If you are respectful and considerate of others – local employees, that is – synergy among the employees will be maximized regardless of their nationality or region of origin. As long as every employee works with a strong sense of vocation for working at the best steelmaking company, the outcome is going to be successful. For better performance, problems faced among people should be resolved through humane respect and care, while their working styles should resemble that of POSCO’s.

Lastly, what is the ultimate goal of Thailand CGL? And, do you have any final words?

Thailand CGL must compete in the same industry, serve the same clients and compete with the same galvanized steel sheet products as the Japanese steel companies, which are known as the world’s best within the industry.

Every employee at Thailand CGL will be devoted to securing a comparative advantage in advance in all aspects, including quality, facility and corporation operation, and be able to write a POSCO success story in Thailand.

POSCO continues to strive to maintain its role as a leader in the steel industry, integrating into the Southeast Asian market seamlessly through producing premium products for the automotive industry while utilizing their global expertise. Lee is determined to make Thailand CGL a success, and he believes that with the help of POSCO’s dedicated employees and the company’s competitive edge over other major steel producers, this goal can soon become a reality.

POSCO Holds Completion Ceremony for Thailand CGL, Southeast Asia’s First Automotive Steel Sheet Plant

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The findings were based on an analysis of some 5,200 comments posted between January 1 and June 30 by employees of the top 10 Korean conglomerates in terms of total assets. The total score was calculated by looking at five categories: welfare and wages, promotion opportunities and possibilities, work-life balance, workplace culture and management leadership.

POSCO scored 63.48 out of 100, good enough for second place, following Hyundai Motor Group.

POSCO runs a fair personnel system along with systematic human resource (HR) training. In addition, the company supports its employees both at home and work through introducing an array of family-friendly systems, including operating the POSCO Childcare Center.

Most notably, in 2011 POSCO adopted a system that allows up to two years of childcare leave, twice Korea’s legally guaranteed period of one year. The company also runs a childcare system that automatically links maternity leave to childcare leave once the maternity leave is completed. Spousal leave, which allows employees to accompany their spouse assigned to an overseas office if the spouse is also a member of POSCO Group, has also increased employee satisfaction.

POSCO also ranked second in Job Planet’s 2015 Best Places to Work, released in June last year. In that survey, the company ranked first in promotion opportunities and possibilities, and second for work-life balance, recognizing POSCO’s efforts to create a workplace that provides happiness both at home and work.

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CEO Kwon talked with several employees who have experience working in the Middle East at a lunch meeting on June 28.

The lunch meeting was held at the POSCO Center, and those attending shared their thoughts about the Middle East region and its growth potential, along with their unique experiences.

POSCO has been expanding its business partnerships around the Middle East, including with Saudi Arabia and Iran, since last year. The lunch meeting was organized to reflect that increasing interest in the region, and to learn more from employees who have studied or worked there.

The participating employees had a range of experiences in the Middle East, such as working at the POSCO Dubai office, studying as a graduate exchange student in Iran and working for a cement company in Bahrain.

CEO Kwon said, “The success of an overseas business ultimately depends on people. You have to understand the local culture first if you want to successfully manage a business in the Middle East. I hope you continue to play an active role in our Middle East-based projects and teams, sharing your valuable experiences.”

In addition, on June 22 CEO Kwon met with the 16th and 17th members of the board to receive case studies about employee workload and efficiency, as well as how to build employee confidence and morale.

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G-LDP is a training program that aims to cultivate leadership skills for next-generation global leaders. Competent managerial-level employees that show potential to play a leading role in building up POSCO the Great at global business sites are selected from overseas subsidiaries to participate.

Since it was first established last October, the program has successfully trained 50 overseas employees from English- and Chinese-speaking countries to become prospective global leaders.

Thirty-nine participants from 21 subsidiaries in nine English-speaking countries participated in the session this month.

What was particularly special about this past session was its adoption of “flipped learning” to maximize the training effect.

Flipped learning is a pedagogical model in which learners view online lectures before attending discussion-oriented offline classes.

Each employee gained theoretical knowledge, and drafted leadership- and finance-related business cases before their offline classes commenced in Korea. This was accomplished by POSCO Group University’s utilization of its HRD portal (e-campus). Here, online activities such as advanced e-learning, reviewing lecture content and performing tasks were assigned to learners remotely.

When participants reached Korea, they were able to build upon this knowledge and further develop their leadership skills by attending programs including competency improvement training and discussions.

Apart from attending leadership training sessions, the participants also visited the POSCO Center and Gwangyang Steel Works. These visits helped to fuel their pride and esteem in POSCO, as well as expand their personal network by meeting former Korean expatriates who are now back in Korea.

The second G-LDP of 2016 will take place in September, with about 40 employees from China expected to be in attendance.

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Over 2,300 employees in 60 overseas affiliates have received training by POSCO GTaLK

POSCO GTaLK was developed by POSCO Group University last year to provide systematic support and training materials for overseas employees to strengthen their Human Resource Development (HRD) competencies.

In July last year, POSCO Group University developed 18 essential subjects—including management philosophy, leadership, the steel-making process and product knowledge—required for all POSCO employees, and distributed them to 60 overseas affiliates in three languages, English, Chinese and Japanese.

POSCO Group University has trained 82 local in-house instructors who will teach POSCO GTaLK contents at overseas affiliates. While instructors learned POSCO’s management values and will help disseminate those ideas to each affiliate, employees of the regional Technical Service Centers (TSC) taught about various products to their neighboring affiliates. All told, over 2,300 overseas employees received training from POSCO GTaLK last year.

Marking the anniversary of POSCO’s founding, five new subjects were added to the POSCO GTaLK Program on April 1

The five new subjects added on April 1 were Founding Spirits, Ownership, Understanding Iron and Steel, Stainless Steel (STS) and Coated Steel Sheets.

Among those new additions, Founding Spirits and Ownership are especially notable. “Founding Spirits” is designed to help POSCO employees understand POSCO’s unique spirit and founding philosophy of contributing to national economic development by means of steel production. “Ownership” has customizable contents that reflect the training needs of the various overseas affiliates.

POSCO Group University plans to distribute the contents to each affiliate via email first and then upload on the HRD Portal later. Moreover, by June, an additional five leadership-related subjects will be developed and distributed to global affiliates, as a package along with teaching plans and instructor manuals. After the introduction of all these new units, POSCO GTaLK will consist of 28 subjects in three categories: POSCO values, product knowledge and leadership.

POSCO Group University is focused on spreading POSCO’s management philosophy by strengthening training programs at overseas affiliates. In addition, it plans on providing special training guides for local instructors to enable them to directly operate new employee and job training programs in regional affiliates.

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On March 21, POSCO DAEWOO (President Youngsang Kim) celebrated the launch of its new name and new corporate identity (CI) at Songdo ConvensiA Convention Center in Incheon, along with more than 1,000 employees.

Prior to the change, the company had been known as Daewoo International, since being incorporated by POSCO Group in 2010.

Presidents from POSCO Group affiliates—including POSCO E&C, POSCO Energy and POSCO ICT— attended the ceremonies, along with POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon and Incheon Mayor Jeongbok Yoo. The national bobsleigh & skeleton team delivered congratulatory messages on video for POSCO DAEWOO’s historic first step. The event kicked off with the unveiling of the new corporate identity, followed by the presentation of the company flag, badges and employee cards.

On March 21, POSCO DAEWOO celebrated its new company name and corporate identity, and resolved to devote all its strength to enhancing synergy with POSCO Group’s overseas businesses. Youngsang Kim, President of POSCO DAEWOO, waved the new company flag presented by POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon.

POSCO DAEWOO vows to enhance the POSCO Group’s value

The new CI of POSCO DAEWOO (pictured on the left) displays the company’s determination to lead in the globalization of POSCO Group by combining the POSCO brand, which symbolizes trust and innovation, with the Daewoo brand, which stands for the idea of “creative challenge.”

“POSCO DAEWOO’s new start is significant in that the unique advantages that POSCO and POSCO DAEWOO have obtained over the last half-century will be combined and embedded into the employees’ DNA,” said CEO Kwon in his congratulatory address. “I look forward to seeing POSCO DAEWOO take the initiative in making POSCO Group proud by enhancing the synergy of the company’s global businesses as a key affiliate of the group.”

“The foundation of POSCO DAEWOO is an important opportunity to solidify a sense of unity for POSCO Group, as well as to strive to create and lead the synergy of the group’s overseas businesses,” said President Young-sang Kim. “As employees and executives, let’s all equip ourselves with POSCO DAEWOO’s creative and challenging spirit, and serve as the main agents of the forward base that will develop the future value of the POSCO Group throughout the world.”

POSCO DAEWOO was founded as Daewoo Industry in 1967, then renamed as Daewoo International in 2000, specializing in international trade, project organizing, and resource development. It was incorporated into POSCO Group in 2010.

The change of name to POSCO DAEWOO will help establish it as a leading global trading company. Moreover, the company plans to actively break into new global markets as a comprehensive trading company that connects value chains in all business areas based on business know-how and abundant overseas networks that have been cultivated over a long period of time.

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