Read on to learn more about these three rising talents from Korea’s national teams.

Up-and-Coming Table Tennis Champ, Jihee Jeon

Since the Seoul Olympics in 1988, China has dominated table tennis with their successive gold medal wins. However, by challenging China, Korea has been able to grow legendary table tennis champions, including Namkyu Yoo, Junghwa Hyun and Seungmin Ryu.

From the emerging group of players, Jihee Jeon from the POSCO Energy Women’s Table Tennis Team is a standout. As a member of the Korea national team, Jeon displayed her prowess in the sport at this summer’s Olympic games.

Jeon, who was born in 1992, used to be a member of the Chinese national junior team but became a naturalized Korean citizen in 2011. She decided to come to Korea because of her desire to play internationally. She was an outstanding player in China as well, but would have had to compete against 30 million players for a spot on the national team.

After arriving to Korea, she has been leading POSCO Energy Women’s Table Tennis Team onto winning major international games. The games she has participated in include the Spanish Open, Czech Open, Argentina Open, Chile Open in 2015, and the Hungarian Open and German Open in 2016.

By placing first and second in all her games and building up an adequate number of points, she was able to qualify for the Olympics by ranking 11th in the world overall. POSCO Energy supported Jeon for her debut at this summer’s Olympics.

Seulchan Lee, Jeonnam’s “Chan-dragon”

Under the leadership of coach Taeyong Shin, the Korean national football team performed with remarkable results during their matches at the Olympics.

Do you remember the player who assisted Hyunjoon Seok’s goal during the pivotal game against Germany? After the 41st minute in the second half, Seulchan Lee served as the hero of this dramatic play by helping Seok score his goal.

Lee is a 22-year-old player who started his career with Jeonnam Dragons in 2012, which is based in his hometown, Gwangyang. He has a long history with Gwangyang, graduating from the town’s elementary, middle, and high schools – and now, ultimately playing for the Jeonnam Dragons in the K-League.

Although small in stature (he is 172cm and 65kg) with a round and friendly face, his ability should not be overlooked. Because of his strong defensive skills, he played as a fullback in the Olympics this summer.

With great determination and remarkable skill, there is no doubt that this will be the last we will see Lee play at a major international event.

A Skilled Striker, Changjin Moon

Known as “a royal prince of coach Taeyong Shin,” Changjin Moon has been acing the field during the Olympic football trials.

The 24-year-old from Pohang who usually plays for the Pohang Steelers as a main striker, is regarded for his offensive skills and precise goal-shooting. He graduated from Pohang Jecheol middle school and technical high school, and played for the Pohang Youth Club. To maintain his hometown spirit, he now plays for the Steelers.

He showed promise as an attacking midfielder during the Olympics this season, scoring goals in warm-up matches against Denmark and Sweden. We will be sure to keep an eye out for his remarkable football skills in future events.

We were only able to catch a glimpse of these three players’ exceptional skills during the games this summer, but with their natural ability, training and hard work, Jeon, Lee and Moon are not names to be ignored in upcoming seasons. Following high expectations, these stars will only become brighter in the time ahead.

These Boots Are Made for Playing

The Most Important Olympic Metal

Gold, Silver, Bronze and Steel

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Greater stability has become a must in competitive sports ranging from baseball, football (both traditional and North American), rugby, golf, athletics and lacrosse. In the world of mountain climbing, crampons have also become indispensable.

Most professional-level cleats, regardless of sport, have one thing in common, however – they make use of steel.

Running through the History of the Cleat

Cleats’ origins can be traced back to 1500s England, where they were worn to play amateur football. Some historians have said that King Henry VIII’s Great Wardrobe included a pair of specially crafted, hand-stitched boots he used to play football in. When the first professional clubs were formed in England, beginning with in Nottingham County in 1862, a new demand for the studded football boot arose.

However, it was across the other side of the Atlantic where steel spikes were first used for cleat studs, back in 1860 in the United States. Baseball was becoming mainstream, and rapidly developing into America’s new favorite pastime, and players requested better shoes to play in. The solution presented itself in the form of steel-spiked footwear. Going into the 20^th Century, the demand for cleats skyrocketed as professional team sports grew in popularity all over the world.

Other sports professionals began adopting the use of the steel-studded cleats. Lacrosse players, golfers and track-and-field athletes all understood the importance of having extra traction, especially when playing on wet or slippery surfaces conditions.

Soon, even mountaineers began to realize how useful steel cleats were. Oscar Eckenstein designed the first pair of 10-point crampons in 1908, utilizing steel as their main material, and other climbers quickly followed suit.

Why Steel Cleats and Not Plastic?

Peak athletic performance requires the best equipment made from the strongest materials. While playing most field sports, an athlete needs to be able firm and stable contact with the ground at all times. This allows them to throw, catch, sprint, swing, kick, turn, or push off of another player at a moment’s notice.

Livestrong.com writers mention that a pair of good cleats gives your feet much-needed traction on the turf for sports that take place of grass or dirt, like football, baseball, soccer, golf, lacrosse, rugby and others. For each different sport, steel spikes are arranged in different patterns to provide maximum effectiveness.

Metal spikes have been used on sporting shoes for decades because of their toughness and durability. With modern shoe designs, steel spikes can be replaced if one becomes worn down or bent – without having to replace the entire shoe.

With molded plastic cleats, this is most often not the case. Steel-studded cleats are often slightly more expensive than plastic versions. However, a good pair of steel cleats will last you longer than plastic equivalents, as when the plastic studs wear down, the shoes lose their stabilizing properties.

Plastic spikes are certainly commonly used nowadays, but are often used in youth sports where metal spikes are deemed less appropriate. As they are often cheaper, they can be more suitable for children, whose feet tend to grow quickly.

Steel studs are also preferred in professional leagues, as they can dig deeper into turf and dirt much more than plastic studs. While walking on harder surfaces, steel studs give off a very recognizable sound – a loud clinking, compared to the softer tip-tapping of plastic studs.

Modern Cleat Designs

With the progression of cleat designs and the technology available to measure and track effectiveness, sports footwear has evolved to become adaptable to almost all conditions.

The world’s leading sports brands offer cleats for each sport with interchangeable steel spikes. These vary in length, point and size, and are all fit for different conditions. For example, in muddier conditions, you may need longer spikes to dig deeper into the turf.

In the case of track-and-field, the steel spikes used are extremely sharp-pointed, designed to gain maximum traction on synthetic and dirt tracks when runners are moving at high speed.

As adult athletes tend to play their chosen sports for a relatively long time, they need footwear that is durable and dependable. High-level sports place a lot of pressure on shoes, and top-level athletes value stability, traction and balance above many other factors – and perhaps this is why steel remains many sportspeople’s first choice for cleat studs.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

The Steelers, originally known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, adapted the team’s name to better represent the city’s prominent steel industry.

(image: http://bit.ly/1i0b7X5)

The name of one of the league’s most successful teams is just one example of how the steel has influenced the widely popular sport of football. Here are a few ways that steel makes football possible.

Helmets and Face Masks

When American football was first introduced, it was not mandatory for players to wear protective head gear. Hardened leather was invented early in the 1920s, after which footballers began wearing leather helmets. It wasn’t until the mid-1940s that helmets became required by the National Football League. By 1950, most players wore helmets more similar to the ones we see today. Face masks were introduced in 1955, to further prevent injury of the entire head. Today, face masks are made of materials including titanium, stainless steel and carbon steel.

(image: http://bit.ly/1fERVfE)

Stadiums

The University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, is recognized as one of the most innovative building designs in the world. The only sports facility with a completely retractable grass field, it also features a retractable roof which opens in only twelve minutes. The shape resembles a barrel cactus, a plant that is commonly found in the Arizona desert. A total of 462 steel wheels, riding on thirteen parallel steel rails slide the grass field tray in and out of the facility.

(image: http://bit.ly/1EiNFP3)

Goal Posts

At either end of every football field are goal posts. Even non-football fans recognize the hand signals for touchdown. Goal posts consist of a crossbar placed 3 meters off the ground and two vertical bars (known as uprights), which are placed 5.4 meters apart and extend 9 meters above the crossbar

(image: http://bit.ly/1UcaMwk)

Game Day

The NFL is made up of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The season lasts seventeen weeks and ends with the season winners of the NFC and the AFC, meeting at the Super Bowl, one of the biggest sports events in the U.S. The 2015 season will end with the 50^th Super Bowl event in February. Keep up with the NFL season schedule at www.nfl.com.

All about the ‘Vietnam POSCO Village’ 

The Vietnam POSCO Village project, aiming to provide 85 houses for underprivileged families located at Tan Hoa Commune, Tan Thanh District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, was sponsored by POSCO 1% Foundation. Total 18 months, the process of the project is divided into three phases. Initially, phase 1 (from September 2014 to March 2015) will provide 26 low-income households with safe and adequate housing with water and sanitation facilities. Phase 2 (from June 2015 to September 2015) will support another 19 households and phase 3 will be other 40 houses (from November 2015 to March 2016). The aims of Vietnam POSCO Village are to support the underprivileged people of the local community and to improve their living conditions for a better life. Also, the project aims that employees of POSCO’s local subsidiaries to train occupations and farming skills to help them build a happy village.

Bricks of Sweats, Tears and Love for the Village

The main activity of the POSCO Beyond volunteers at this phase is to complete 11 houses among 85 houses of the Vietnam POSCO Village project. Hence, the poor households have decent place as they welcome the upcoming happy Lunar New Year holiday of 2015. The volunteers start their day by preparing personal facilities for the construction work such as helmets, gloves, safety shoes, and protection glasses. It is for a better protection at the build because the climate condition is extremely hot during the daytime. “I get up early in the morning to have everything prepared, make sure that I can have ensured safety, power and willing for another hard day waiting for me”, said Chanyang-go, Beyond 8^th.

As the volunteers get off the buses at the construction site, they stand in 10 lines and move to the houses where the materials and tools are available. There are various construction activities done by the volunteers and supported by builders of Habitat Vietnam and workers of POSCO-Vietnam. The activities are divided by each task, so the building work is not so burdensome for the volunteers; some volunteers are mixing cements, some are bringing and lifting bricks and mortars. Some are leveling the ground and some are digging holes to make toilets. All of them have a hope in mind that the houses will be completed on time. “These works make me feel stronger and stronger day by day. You know there is nothing as hard as this for students to do at schools. Lots of sweats are poured while working but when I see the smiles on the home owners, every fatigues disappeas”, said Pham Thi Tuyet Trinh, Beyond Vietnam.

The work is usually finished around the time of sunset; the volunteers clean up surroundings of the site and arrange tools in order for the next day’s work.

New Relationships with Local People

What do the volunteers do during the weekend? The weekend days of Jan 31st and Feb 1st was waited by everybody. Especially, people waited long for the activities after a hard week of working at the build.

On Saturday morning, the volunteers visited the Secondary School of Truong Cong Dinh, Chau Pha Commune, Tan Thanh District, bringing the warm welcomes and exciting atmosphere to the school. “This is the first time I meet Koreans in real life. They are so beautiful and friendly. I love the fashion styles they are wearing today. I am so excited about this”, said student Nguyen Lan Anh, 6 grade.

There was a wide range of performances done by the volunteers and students of this school. The volunteers performed Korean traditional dances and catwalk, wearing the traditional dress called ‘Hanbuk’. They also taught martial arts for the students at the event. Moreover, boys and girls of the school performed Vietnamese traditional songs and dances, bringing colors to the stage. “It’s a really nice performance; I think they prepared it very well for this culture exchange. The students are small and young but they sing and dance beautifully”, said Ms. Park Yu Jung, Beyond 8^th.

Sunday’s cultural exchange between 100 POSCO Beyond Volunteers and 70 members of the Youth Union of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province took place at an outside stage of the Culture House of Youth, Vung Tau City.  The cultural exchange program included various activities such as writing calligraphy, drawing portraits, fashion shows of Hanbok of Korea and Ao dai (long dress) of Vietnam, music and dance performances, bonfire and more. The Youth Union of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province organized this cultural exchange in order to introduce traditional activities and cultural custom of Vietnam to the volunteers. Also, it was organized to create comprehensive relationships, understand the culture and people between the two nations. “Through the cultural exchange program today, I can understand more about Korean traditions and styles. We use English and body language to exchange information for more understandings and we also write emails for regular exchange relationships in the future”, said Ms. Nguyen Huong Thao, a youth member of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Visiting the Centre for Social Protection of Children in Vung Tau City

On February 10th, teachers and children welcomed 10 POSCO family volunteers with enthusiastic faces to meet the sponsors, to play games and to receive gifts. It took some minutes for the volunteers to make acquaintance and introductions. After that, the volunteers brought gifts to the children. Some received teddy bears, sketch books, toothbrushes and some children were given daily necessaries for life. The volunteers also offered foods and oil to the center for better nutrition of the children. “Today, I received a beautiful teddy bear. I am very happy now for the gifts”, said Lan Huong, 6.

The Volunteers also cleaned doors and windows for better views of the center. Moreover, they hosted some intriguing games for the children like jumping ropes, drawing faces, playing soccer, and many other fun programs. “I wished to have a ball to play with friends for long, and to become a football player in the future. Today, I received a ball and learned how to play from a volunteer. I’ll practice every day. Thank you so much”, said Hoang Nam, 9.

The Centre for Social Protection of Children in Vung Tau City is taking care of about 130 handicapped and orphaned children. Babies born to impoverished mothers, sometimes illegitimately or in socially precarious situations, are seldom abandoned at the hospital or later at the center. Some of the babies received at the center suffer from a range of congenital or post-natal disabilities including hydrocephaly, blindness, deafness, or physical disabilities that will prevent or hinder their ability to stand and walk unaided. Moreover, for many families that are unable to support their children, it is common to put children to work instead of attending school. Although the visit of POSCO family volunteers was short, it brought bright joy to the children at the center.

Dedication Ceremony for the First Houses

In the morning of February 5th, POSCO-Vietnam, Habitat Vietnam and local authorities joined to organize a dedication ceremony of 11 houses. Held at the construction site, the ceremony was attended by local leaders, POSCO and Habitat’s representatives, 100 POSCO Beyond volunteers, 20 volunteers of Beyond Vietnam, 10 POSCO Family volunteers and the homeowners.

“It is indeed my great pleasure to make a few closing remarks for the POSCO Beyond Build 2015. One week ago, all we saw were only the foundation and four walls. Now, look at what we’ve done! 11 beautiful almost-finished houses and I’m proud to say that we made it!, said Ms. Kelly, General Manager of Habitat Vietnam.

“It’s very meaningful for us to be here to share love and tears when we join together for the volunteer activities to help the underprivileged people. I believe that it will become a solid foundation for a better close-knit relationship between Korea and Vietnam in the future”, said Mr. Yun Yang Su, General Director of POSCO Vietnam.

Unforgettable Moments about POSCO Beyond Volunteers

Interview Mr. Luu Van Bien, engineer of CAL Dept, POSCO-Vietnam

“I was excited when I heard that POSCO Beyond Volunteers are coming to do social activities in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. So I registered to join the volunteer activity as soon as possible. This is the first time I’ve participated in a volunteer activity. For me, volunteer activities to help the poor for a better living conditions make me feel happy because I can share the burden of them together.”

Interview Mr. Yong Hwan Moo, POSCO Beyond 8^th

“There were a lot of laughs when I came to the building site and working together with the students of POSCO Beyond. They worked very hard in a rapid pace. I think that they are more than just students. They are almost like professional builders. The students are friendly, vivacious and helpful; therefore, I made lots of friends here. The volunteer activities are meaningful moments that I will never forget about.”

Interview Mr. Huynh Minh Thuan, Beyond Vietnam

“This is the 3rd POSCO Beyond that I’ve ever joined. It’s so great to me. I know that the Vietnam POSCO Village project is sponsored by the POSCO 1% Foundation (operating with one percent deduction from the wage of POSCO’s employees). This is a magnanimously deep and compassionate action of POSCO that no companies can do it in the world. After the village is completed, the underprivileged people will have decent shelters which are the foundations for them to do their business to raise their children.”

If you are interested in more detailed thoughts and experiences of the volunteers, read the next post of a university student who participated at the project.

University of Phoenix Stadium 

(Image Source: University of Phoenix Stadium Official Website)

Located in Glendale Arizona in America, University of Phoenix Stadium is a multi-purpose facility with unique features of retractable steel roof and field. The 63,400-seat stadium, which is expandable to 72,200, have the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and Annual VIZIO Fiesta Bowl as the primary tenants. As a marvel of design, engineering, and technology, the stadium was voted as one of the top ten sports facilities in the world by Business Week in 2006.

Here are some facts that even football enthusiasts might have not known before. With a solid mission for the environment, University of Phoenix Stadium is a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). When tailgating, a big part of game day experience, guests are given complimentary recyclable bags for disposal of recyclable materials. While the 10% of stadium’s seating is made from recycled plastic, the venue uses “Green” products such as hand soap, all cleaning solutions, microfiber mops and rags to preserve water and the environment.

Another interesting fact about the stadium is that the stadium’s field is wheeled in and out on 546 steel wheels that ride along 13 parallel steel rails, traveling 741 feet. It is almost unimaginable to guess how much steel was used for the construction!

(Reference: University of Phoenix Stadium Official Website)

Allianz Arena

(Image Source: Allianz Arena Official Website)

Allianz Arena, Europe’s contemporary stadium, with the size of more than 70,000 spectators, is the third home for FC Bayern Munich. Its extraordinary facade, covered with 2,760 diamond-shaped cushions, constantly amazes visitors. The stadium is always filled with fans every season because of the tenant team’s star players and other facilities such as outstanding catering and parking space at the venue.

As a special feature, Allianz Arena is lit in red when the host team is Bayern Munich, in blue when it is 1860 Munich, and in white when the German national team hosts the football match.

For the construction of Allianz Arena, approximately 22,000 tons of steel was used. The retractable roof is where massive amount of the steel was applied to. Overall, the stadium was warmly welcomed by the Munich community and more than 60 percent considered Allianz Arena as a favorable construction project. According to “Cicero”, political journal, the stadium became Germany’s favorite sports location.

(Reference: Allianz Arena Official Website)

Estádio Municipal de Aveiro

(Image Source: Panoramio)

Located in Aveiro, Portugal, Estádio Municipal de Aveiro Stadium was designed for UEFA Euro 2004 tournament as the fifth-largest football ground of the country. A home ground for Sport Clube Beira-Mar of the Segunda Liga, the stadium is a venue for various football matches including the Portugal national team games.

Estádio Municipal de Aveiro Stadium is known for its dynamic design which is a combination of simple shapes and lively colors. Designed by Tomás Taveira, the stadium benefits from its cheerful colors as the intense tonalities bring out the celebration atmosphere of sporting events. Examples of the polychromic feature are red steel pylons, sky-blue edges of the roof and seating areas of rainbow shades. Having a capacity for 32,830 spectators and the special design features, the stadium is visually appealing both empty and full of people.

(Reference: Wikipedia)

Michigan Stadium

(Image Source: MGoBlue)

One of the America’s most classic stadium, Michigan Stadium, also known as the Big House, is a symbolic icon of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Opened in 1927, which was the golden age of college football, the stadium was modeled after the Yale Bowl and was constructed with 440 tons of reinforcing steel and 31,000 square feet of wire mesh. Started with an initial capacity of 84,401, the venue currently upholds up to 109,901 spectators after a major renovation in 2010. Although the stadium is not known for extravagant colors or sleek, modern design, the stadium embodies its own meaning as one of the oldest and largest college football arenas in America.

(Reference Source: MGoBlue)

Wembley Stadium

(Image Source: Wembley Stadium Official Website)

Sponsored by EE, Wembley Stadium is a multiplex football stadium in Wembley Park, London, United Kingdom. Wembley Stadium is known for hosting major football matches, such as FA Cup Finals and home ground matches for England National Football Team. Wembley Stadium opened in 2007 after demolishing the previous Wembley Stadium. The stadium has a retractable roof, just as many other modern stadiums, and 134m-high Wembley Arch over the venue. .

Wembley Stadium is one of UEFA category 4 stadiums. Category 4 is the highest of the category. With 90,000 in capacity, Wembley Stadium is the second largest stadium in Europe and largest in the United Kingdom. Considering the immense size of the structure, which even contains 2,618 toilets, about 23,000 tons of steel were used for its renovation. This stadium is currently owned by the Football Association where HRH the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William) being the current president.

(Reference: Wembley Stadium Official Website)

As shown, today’s large venues, especially these amazing stadiums, are built on steel skeletons. As an essential material for the modern world, steel will continue to evolve into even more ambitious and innovative creatures in the future.

What’s POSTIM?
POSTIM is an innovative model developed by POSCO and applied in August 2014 to achieve the corporate vision of `POSCO the Great’. At the event, participants looked back on the efforts and traces of POSCO Family to implement `POSCO the Great`, and shared the progress results and best practices from POSTIM, which spans PWS (PJT-based Working System), QSS+ (Quick Six Sigma plus), and SWP (Smart Work Place). In addition, through the `Contest for an Excellent Project Idea`, they shared creative ideas from the shop-floor that can contribute to improving profitability, with a special awards ceremony to recognize the most promising ideas.

PWS (PJT-based Working System)
Many global companies such as Google, GE, 3M and more, are practicing various projects as they consider projects to be the key to efficiency. Through ‘Innovation POSCO 1.0’, POSCO has drawn a number of lucrative projects in each corresponding sector of production, sales, research, finance, new business and management support. By creating exclusive teams and members for projects, POSCO provided an optimal circumstance where project participants could concentrate on their tasks.

QSS+ (Quick Six Sigma plus) 
Ever since its completion in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco carries a hundred thousand cars every day without facing any problem. Such durability is achieved by annual maintenance activities and recovery with adequate investments.

With 24-hour operating facilities older than two decades, POSCO also requires consistent management and investment in order to maintain its competitive edges. Accordingly, POSCO developed QSS+, innovative activities compatible for steel mills and has been strengthening its facilities in pursuance of a safe working environment. As POSCO deploys customized innovative activities by upgrading its core facilities, QSS+ plans are expanding with a plant manager’s lead. As QSS+ plans are settled, plants go through a major reconstruction or plan an independent activity that is appropriate to each department’s characteristic.

SWP (Smart Work Place)
From winning the 2014 UEFA Championship and 2014 World cup championship, Germany’s football teams are leading the paths of the world football. Behind such achievements, there were IT infrastructure and leadership that created positive atmosphere to the players.

Meanwhile, POSCO also embodies SWP (Smart Work Place) that promotes employees’ involvements through convenient IT infrastructure, advanced working method, and sharing gratitude. With the spread of mobile reporting system, working process has been expedited and video conference allowed meetings without limitations to time and space. Moreover, employees are using smart notes to immediately respond to client’s request and inconveniences on site. Improvements in reporting system extended task immersion and simplification in HR, training and innovation system also boosted employees’ focus on their accounts.

IP Festival 2014 Event Sketch
At the ‘IP Festival 2014’, executives and employees shared the outcomes and best practices from POSTIM. Groups and individuals who have displayed outstanding performance throughout the year were awarded at the event.

• Groups and individuals who had excellent project performance received awards

• Best cases of projects were introduced at the event

Let’s see what other interesting activities were shared at the IP Festival 2014!

• Employees are participating in a performance that they prepared during the break times

• Employees engaged in performances that induced participation in between each session

 This game ended in the most dramatic way possible; the match-winning goal was made at the final moment, after 94 tense minutes. At two points ahead, all Ulsan needed to claim the crown was a draw, while Pohang had to win the game to claim the title.

Pohang seized move through a free kick in the last minute before the final whistle. From amid a tightly packed penalty area, Pohang Steeler’s Kim Won-il managed to turn the game around with a decisive goal.

The Pohang Steelers also became the first to set the record of a double victory in Korean pro football history. They  recaptured the K-League championship following their last title in 2007 , 6 years ago. This, combined with their victory in the FA Cup in October 2013, made for a monumental record to celebrate the team’s  40^th anniversary.

For the FA Cup final, over 3500 supporters packed into the stadium acting as passionate as they do when supporting on the home side. Backed by solid POSCO support, which has made efforts for long-term Korean football development, together with loyalty from Pohang residents and fans, the Pohang Steelers sealed their position as a football club of presitge, claiming both the FA Cup and K-League titles at the same time.

The Pohang Steelers will continue to move forward to attain the AFC Champions League title in 2014, following their win in 2009.

Meanwhile, in the K-League Classic Award Ceremony, held on December 3, coach Hwang Sun-hong won Manager of the Year, while Ko Mu-yeol won Young Player of 2013. The Best Eleven included midfielders Ko Mu-yeol and Lee Myung-ju, as well as defender Kim Won-il.