Dear Newsroom readers who care for and support POSCO, it is a pleasure to greet you. My name is Gérard REVEL, a French engineer who came to Korea in 1977—nearly 49 years ago—to work on the Phase 3 facilities expansion project at Pohang Works. Returning here after so many years, the three years I spent in Pohang come rushing back like scenes from a lantern slide. I can still vividly picture employees in the ocher-colored work uniforms that symbolized POSCO at the time, moving briskly across the steelworks site. Today, I would like to share my story with you as I look back on those intense and precious years, among the most meaningful of my life.

The beginning of my journey with POSCO

I was born in the late 1940s in a town in central France, often called the cradle of the French steel industry. Having grown up in a basin where mining and steelmaking had continued for more than 150 years, I naturally began my career after university at SECIM, a subsidiary of Creusot-Loire, a distinguished company in the design and manufacture of steelmaking equipment. As the company expanded its global reach through partnerships with leading international firms, a new opportunity came my way in the engineering department: I was entrusted with overseeing the on-site installation and commissioning of turnkey plants delivered around the world.

From then on, I traveled across many countries, directing the moment when equipment came to life in the field. Among all those assignments, one of the most memorable was POSCO’s blooming mill*, which laid the foundation for Korea’s steel industry.

*Steel ingots, cast in fixed molds at the ingot-making shop, were reheated at the blooming mill and rolled into semi-finished products such as slabs and blooms. At Pohang Works, the blooming mill was shut down in December 1998 after a 100% Continuous Casting system had been established for all steel grades.

I first set foot in Korea in 1977. I was assigned to support the construction of the blooming mill, but to be honest, Korea was a very unfamiliar country to me then. I boarded the plane knowing little more than where it was on the world map. Yet I could never have imagined that those uncertain first steps would mark the beginning of a remarkable journey that would change my life.

My memories of the Phase 3 expansion project site at Pohang Works in 1977

The blooming process I was responsible for was a key operation—almost like the backbone of the steelworks—rolling massive steel blocks from the steelmaking shop into semi-finished products such as slabs. Because the work required a high degree of precision and technical coordination, I had to stay fully focused every moment, supervising equipment installation and working closely with the Korean team during commissioning.

The construction site of the blooming mill was always filled with red dust. But even redder was the passion of the people working there. Korean engineers pored over drawings day and night, and even when their French or English was limited, they came to me with gestures and determination, eager to learn every bit of technology they could. Deeply moved by that passion, I did my best to share all the know-how I had without holding anything back.

I have countless memories with my colleagues from those days, but what impressed me most was the remarkable creativity and ingenuity of the Korean people. If there were not enough wrenches to tighten bolts, they cut steel plates and made their own tools. If there was no concrete pump to pour the foundation, they built up a huge mound of earth beside the site and used the difference in elevation to let the concrete flow. I still remember how amazed I was by their ability to find a way forward, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

The people I loved and worked with

What stands out especially in my memory is the outstanding leadership of the Korean executives who oversaw the construction. They drove the project forward with military-like discipline and execution, yet at the same time embraced foreign engineers from abroad with warmth and deep humanity.

At the peak of construction, when civil works, building construction, and equipment installation were all progressing at once, as many as 2,000 workers were sweating it out together on-site. That may now feel like a distant memory, but I will never forget how everyone came together as One Team, transcending nationality, to create what truly felt like a miracle. I would also like to take this opportunity to send my regards to Mr. J.K. Kim and Mr. Sonn Yang Han, with whom I shared so much on-site during those days.

My message to POSCO, now that we meet again

In my study in France, I still keep framed photographs taken with my colleagues in Pohang. When I look at POSCO today, standing tall as a world-class steelmaker, I feel not only amazement but also deep admiration. To be honest, when I left Pohang, I had my doubts. I wondered whether this steelworks could truly become world-class.

But POSCO proved me wrong in the most extraordinary way. Starting from barren ground, it grew into a global steel company with world-leading competitiveness and played a pivotal role in driving Korea’s economic growth. The fact that I was part of one page of this great history remains one of the proudest achievements of my life.

I recently heard that the global steel industry is facing serious challenges. But I am not worried. The people who built POSCO were pioneers who created something out of nothing. Even today, POSCO steelworks stands on land made miraculous by the sweat and tears of countless Korean and overseas engineers 49 years ago, and by their determination to make the impossible possible. I am certain that this great POSCO DNA still lives on strongly in the hearts of today’s POSCO people. As I always have, I will continue to cheer for POSCO’s future from afar, here in France.