Despite it’s fall, however, a recent start-up boom, supported by world class universities leading research into robotics, medicine and computer science, has breathed new life into the western Pennsylvania city. Bigger tech companies such as Facebook, Uber and Google have also recently set up local offices there.

Boasting a steady supply of new jobs, the city has begun to attract educated young people seeking new careers and opportunities.

This younger demographic has driven Pittsburgh’s booming food scene into the national spotlight. Zagat named the city America’s No. 1 Food Town of 2015 and Saveur called it a “beer and spirits destination.”

Pittsburgh’s recent transformation has enabled the city to once and for all shake its lingering reputation as a smoggy, blue collar steel town. But it has not forgotten its roots.

Blast Furnace Fun

In an effort to continue to revive the city, tourism officials and preservationists are now adapting defunct factory sites to tell the story of how Pittsburgh made its name.

The Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is one example. This attraction has transformed the non-functioning Homestead Steel Works site, which at its peak produced a third of the nation’s steel, into an area that commemorates the rich history of the industry. Perhaps the highlight of the attraction is the guided tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces.

Constructed in 1906, Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 stood at the heart of U.S. Steel’s Homestead Works until 1979. At one point, the furnaces and the steelworkers who labored in them produced more than 1,000 tons of iron per day. These 28-meter-tall structures presently stand as sentinels to Pittsburgh’s steel heritage.

On the tour of the furnaces, guides—some of whom are former steel mill workers—lead visitors through the iron-making process, sharing the story of the site’s technology, workers and culture from its prime to the post-industrial present.

Visitors to the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area can also explore other converted industrial facilities, cycle the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail and admire numerous public artworks crafted from steel.

Symbolic Steel

Steel art can also be found in other parts of the city, with The Workers being one of the more famous installations.

Originally commissioned as a small project in 1997 by the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning, this collection of sculptures now stands big and tall, celebrating the Steel City’s heritage in an unconventional but impactful way.

The 6-meter-tall sculptures of steel men at work were fashioned from leftover scrap metal from abandoned Pittsburgh steel mills, an iron hot-metal ladle donated by another mill, and the ties from bridges that once carried steel’s raw materials across the city’s rivers. For 15 years, the creators of the project—24 artists of Pittsburgh’s Industrial Arts Co-op—collaborated with industrial, foundation and political entities to make this massive artwork a reality.

The mediums and techniques utilized to create The Workers are a testament to the unions that have set Pittsburgh in motion: unions between its people, workers and capital; between the land and the rivers that run through it; unions of the past, present and future.

The Workers commemorates the rich industrial steel heritage of the Pittsburgh region and honors the individuals who contributed to it, but also celebrates the modern evolution of one of the country’s rust belt and industrial cities into a contemporary, lively metropolis for people to live, work, create and contribute.

Steel City Highlight: Birmingham, USA

Steel City Highlight: Kaohsiung, Taiwan

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The James A. Van Fleet Award was established by The Korea Society in 1995 to honor the late General James Van Fleet, who was commander of the U.S. Eighth Army during the Korean War. It is given annually to an individual or organization who has contributed to the promotion of U.S.-Korea relations.

The Korea Society, which has made great efforts to improve cooperation and exchange between the two countries in the U.S., presents the award each year at its Annual Dinner.

Past recipients of the award include Secretary-General of the UN, Kimoon Ban (2004), former U.S. President George H. W. Bush (2005), Samsung CEO Kunhee Lee (2006) and former President of the Republic of Korea Daejung Kim (2007).

Notable & Quotable: Korea

‘If the U.S. had not come to the aid of the Korean people, or if we in the South had lost the war, I would not be standing here.’

During the Korean War, Gen. James Van Fleet brought not only an exceptional military record but also leadership of great stature with the highest ideals. He courageously commanded the U.N. troops at the very forefront during the Korean War, with the steadfast goals of defending the people of the Republic of Korea and preserving democracy on the Korean Peninsula.

His own son, Lt. James Van Fleet Jr., also volunteered as a combat pilot but tragically went missing in action during his mission near the Yalu River. Gen. Van Fleet suspended the search-and-rescue operations for his son out of concern for putting additional soldiers’ lives at risk.

Although his son James never made it back home, his noble spirit of self-sacrifice will be remembered forever by those of us with any connection to the Korean War conflict.

In fact, this is the story I read in the social-studies book when I was in the fifth grade in elementary school. That was also my first encounter with Gen. Van Fleet. The name of Gen. Van Fleet has remained embedded in the hearts and in the minds of the Korean people, symbolizing the strong bonds . . . between our two nations.

In today’s modern era where self-centered egoism is often the generally accepted norm, James Van Fleet’s legacy of bravery and sacrifice continues to serve as a valuable moral lesson for today’s young generation of Koreans.

Tomorrow, I will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit Arlington National Cemetery and pay homage and tribute to Gen. James Van Fleet and the fallen soldiers who gave their lives on Korean soil.

On a personal note, I was born just 20 days before the outbreak of the Korean War, in a small town in South Korea. One of the fiercest battles in modern history was recorded near the Nakdong River close to my hometown, and this battle forced my family to evacuate southwards. The evacuation trail stretched 200 kilometers or 125 miles, and my parents had a hard time carrying a 20-day-old newborn baby enwrapped in blankets.

I still recall, when I was studying metallurgical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh some 40 years ago, how fortunate and privileged I felt to have the opportunity to come to the United States to further pursue my studies and career ambitions. If the U.S. had not come to the aid of the Korean people, or if we in the South had lost the war, I would not be standing here.

** This content was published on May 20 in the Wall Street Journal.

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Košice, Slovakia: A Steel-Inspired Capital of Culture

As one of the oldest industrial hubs of Slovakia, steel production has played a vital role in the economy of the eastern city of Košice for quite some time. The main development of iron started in the 13^th century and the technology of steel production progressively improved until 1959 when a deed was signed for a modern metallurgy plant. Five decades later, the Košice mill has developed into a steel-producing plant that has managed to widely reach the markets and achieve a position among significant steel producers.

 Košice has since reforged itself into a city of the arts, and was designated “European Capital of Culture” in 2013, along with Marseille, France, for its efforts to transform dilapidated industrial structures into contemporary art galleries, performance theaters and independent culture centers. In addition to the city’s gorgeous Gothic architecture, it is also home to the renowned ice hockey team HC Košice that plays regularly at the Steel Aréna. (Image: http://bit.ly/1CjHtVM )

Visakhapatnam, India: Steelworks on the Sea

Often coined The Jewel of the East Coast, the port city of Visakhapatnam was identified as one of the fastest-growing in the world, economically and demographically, with steel playing an important role.

In the 1970s, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, announced the government’s decision to establish a steel plant at Visakhapatnam. It has since become the only Indian shore-based steel plant and is situated on 33,000 acres, making the city a gateway for the development of the steel industry.

In addition to its flourishing economy, Visakhapatnam’s beaches, hilltop parks, caves and wildlife sanctuaries have helped the city become a significant tourist destination of natural beauty. Its serene temples, such as Simhachalam Temple, allow visitors to experience the spiritual side of India. (Image: http://bit.ly/1JR9l3k )

Pittsburgh, USA: The Original Steel City

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became one of the most well-known steel cities in the world during the American Civil War, when the city’s economy was amplified by the increased production of iron and weaponry. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing half of the nation’s steel, and during World War II, the city saw local mills operate 24 hours a day to produce 95 million tons of the metal.

Today, Pittsburgh may not produce as much as it did in its heyday, but the “Steel City” still boasts more than 300 steel-related businesses and visitors can even go on steel tours. Additionally, the city’s most visited attractions, such as the Carnegie Museum, founded by Andrew Carnegie, the most influential figure in the expansion of America’s steel industry, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, a stunning house that uses steel as a main building material, are a testament to the importance the metal still plays in this historical and cultural city. Sports fans shouldn’t miss out on a Steelers football game. (Image: http://bit.ly/1LPF7jt )

Newcastle, Australia: Surf & Steel

When military rule ended in 1823, the penal settlement that was originally Newcastle advanced into a pioneer town. The dawn of the 20^th century saw the city evolve into a site for steelworks, due to its abundance of coal. In 1915, a local steelworks opened, beginning a period of some 8 decades in which Newcastle’s fortunes were brought on by the steelworks and heavy industries. A deadly earthquake struck in 1989 and ten years later, the steelworks closed after 84 years of operation, having employed about 50,000 throughout its existence.

Creative repurposing has transformed the old and outdated to new and trendy, and art projects and festivals have allowed inner-city neighborhoods to prosper. It is along the sandy shores of “Best in Travel”-ranked Newcastle that bohemian culture meets surf culture and top-rated restaurants overlook an industrial port. Today, even as Newcastle embraces its rough-and-tumble industrial past, it is continuously looking to the future as a regional capital of creativity and cool.

Whether you’re traveling to the Australian coast or the cultural capital of Slovakia, these vacation destinations forged from steel and sweat have plenty to offer travelers seeking new experiences and wanting to explore unfamiliar lands. Safe travels this summer! (Image: http://bit.ly/1H6mPVJ )