Focus to deliver the steel “complete localization strategy” and tangible profits in secondary battery materials… positioning the energy business as the “Next Core”

Defined AI as a key driver that will shape the Group’s future… accelerating AX across all areas from manufacturing to office work

Chairman In-hwa Chang presented “overwhelming execution” and “creating results” as the Group’s key management themes for this year. It reflects his determination to deliver visible outcomes from future investments through bold structural transformation amid a complex crisis—and to prove those outcomes in “numbers.”

On Jan. 29, POSCO Group held its first Group management meeting of the year, chaired by Chairman In-hwa Chang, to review the Group’s business plans and major pending issues. The meeting focused on strategic measures to strengthen fundamental competitiveness by business segment and to deliver a clear performance rebound by proving management results in quantitative terms.

At the meeting, Chairman Chang cited the challenging environment—including intensifying global trade barriers and prolonged low growth—and emphasized, “To break through stagnation, we must boldly reshape the Group’s fundamentals with ‘profitability’ at the center.” He also reiterated that the Group will shift into a high-intensity emergency management mode to restore market confidence by delivering overwhelming results that exceed its management targets.

First, in the steel business, POSCO Group will reinforce a stable profit structure through structural cost innovation and expanded sales of high value-added products. This year, it will accelerate the transition to decarbonization by commencing construction of a hydrogen reduction steelmaking demo plant and completing the Gwangyang electric arc furnace, while fully rolling out the “complete localization strategy” in global markets. To that end, the Group plans to steadily advance the Louisiana steel mill project in the U.S., cooperation with Cleveland-Cliffs, and the establishment of a joint venture for an integrated steel mill in India.

For growth businesses such as secondary battery materials and infrastructure, POSCO Group will leverage favorable market conditions—such as a strong exchange-rate environment and firmer lithium prices—as strategic opportunities to accelerate clear and visible profit creation compared with last year. In secondary battery materials, the Group will fully begin commercial lithium production at POSCO-Argentina and complete the acquisition of an equity stake in a lithium mine with Mineral Resources in Australia, thereby converting its investments to date into meaningful earnings and driving tangible performance improvement.

In particular, Chairman Chang stressed that the energy business must establish itself as the Group’s “Next Core,” connecting steel and secondary battery materials. To achieve this, he said POSCO Group will continue investments to expand LNG production capacity and strengthen global trading capabilities, thereby expanding the energy business’ role as a core profit engine for the Group.

In addition, safety management innovation and faster AX (AI Transformation) were presented as key tasks for reshaping the Group’s fundamentals. Chairman Chang defined AI as a key driver that will determine the Group’s future, and said the Group will maximize enterprise-wide efficiency by adopting AI in manufacturing sites to secure a super-gap technology edge and by expanding AI adoption across office functions.

Closing the meeting, Chairman Chang said, “POSCO’s strength is finding opportunity even in a crisis and making a leap forward,” underscoring that this year will be the most critical one for the Group. He also reaffirmed, “With meticulous planning and overwhelming execution, we must turn future growth investments into concrete outcomes,” adding, “Let’s make this a year in which we clearly prove the Group’s fundamental competitiveness in numbers.”

Meanwhile, the quarterly POSCO Group management meeting is a forum to review the Group’s mid- to long-term strategy and key issues. The meeting was attended by Chairman In-hwa Chang and other Group executives, including CEOs of major business companies.

▲Chairman In-hwa Chang chairs the Group Technology Strategy Meeting held in March 2025.

POSCO Group signs MOU with global raw materials company BHP for collaboration on HyREX hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology

Chairman Chang presents future vision for the global supply chain at APEC CEO Summit, based on Korea-Australia economic cooperation cases

On October 30, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited POSCO’s Pohang Works, a company that represents economic cooperation between Korea and Australia.

This marks the first visit by an Australian Prime Minister in 22 years, since former Prime Minister John Howard in 2003, and serves as an opportunity for the two nations to further strengthen their future-oriented partnership across various industries, including resources, materials, and future energy.

Prime Minister Albanese toured the raw material pier at Pohang Works, where he observed the actual use of Australian iron ore and coking coal, and received a briefing on HyREX, Korea’s proprietary hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology.

POSCO Group began purchasing Australian iron ore in 1971 and has since used over 1.5 billion tons of Australian iron ore and coking coal — a symbolic example of Korea-Australia cooperation in the resources and steel industries.

Prime Minister Albanese stated, “Australia is one of the world’s leading resource-rich nations, a land of infinite opportunity where industries can grow through investment in critical minerals. Australia’s abundant resources will be a driving force for the global economy, and we will continue to expand cooperation with Korea.”

Chairman In-hwa Chang of POSCO Group said during his meeting with the Prime Minister, “Australia is a strategic partner with whom we are pioneering future growth industries, extending beyond steel to secondary battery materials and energy. I expect this visit to serve as a catalyst for strengthening trust between our two countries.”

Since its investment in the Roy Hill iron ore mine in 2010, POSCO Group has been promoting an HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron) production project in Australia as a low-carbon steel raw material initiative, and in 2022, it acquired Senex Energy to expand its natural gas business.

Prior to the meeting with the Prime Minister, POSCO Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BHP, Australia’s leading global raw materials company, for R&D cooperation on the HyREX carbon reduction steelmaking process. Under the agreement, BHP will provide the iron ore feedstock and technical expertise required for the trial operation of the HyREX demonstration plant. POSCO Group plans to develop this cooperation into a successful example of climate change response jointly undertaken by a global steelmaker and a raw materials supplier.

Earlier in the day, Chairman Chang delivered a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit held at the Gyeongju Arts Center, under the theme “Connecting the Future: POSCO’s Supply Chain Partnerships for Shared Prosperity.”

He emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation and solidarity in building sustainable and resilient global supply chains, which have emerged as a core agenda for the global economy. He also shared examples of strategic economic cooperation between POSCO Group and Australia over the past half-century, including strengthening raw material supply chains, co-developing low-carbon products, and transitioning to future energy.

Following the keynote, a panel discussion was held with Garry Korte, CEO of Hancock, and Omoto Masayuki, CEO of Marubeni, to explore solutions for global supply chain challenges from multiple perspectives.

On October 29, POSCO Group also hosted “POSCO Night,” inviting key business partners. Attendees included Simon Trott, CEO of Rio Tinto Group, and Zhu Wei, President of CATL ESS, who engaged in extensive exchanges with POSCO Group’s management to explore business cooperation opportunities.

▲ Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the Pohang works on the 30th. Prime Minister Albanese and POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa chang agreed to continue expanding economic cooperation between Korea and Australia.

Chairman Chang emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation and solidarity in building a sustainable and resilient global supply chain, which has emerged as a key issue for the world economy. He shared strategic economic cooperation cases between POSCO Group and Australia, including strengthening raw material supply chains, jointly developing carbon-reduction products, and advancing the future energy transition during the past half century. He also conveyed a message to jointly create solutions for a sustainable future based on the roles and responsibilities of companies.

▲ On the 30th, POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang delivers a keynote address at the Gyeongju Arts Center, where the APEC CEO Summit is being held.

▲ On the 30th, POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang delivers a keynote address at the Gyeongju Arts Center, where the APEC CEO Summit is being held.

Chairman Chang stated, “We must not be trapped by past successes, but maintain a sense of urgency,” and emphasized, “Technology is the key to opening the future of a world-class company.”

Safety was highlighted as a prerequisite for all business operations, with executives urged to take responsibility and fundamentally eliminate risks.

At the 2025 POSCO Forum, In-hwa Chang, Chairman of POSCO Group, joined group executives and renowned global scholars to directly confront the challenges facing the group and seek solutions for sustainable growth amid a period of technological transformation.

Now in its seventh year, the POSCO Forum brought together all group executives to assess the internal and external business environment and discuss strategies for growth and innovation. This year’s forum, held at the POSCO Songdo Global R&D Center from September 22 for two days, was themed “The Era of Great Transformation: What Shapes the Future?”

Chairman Chang remarked, “We must not be confined by previous methods of success, but maintain a sense of urgency so that technology can become the key to POSCO Group’s future as a world-class company. We will stay ahead of the curve, read the future, and lead industrial change to achieve sustainable growth.”

Regarding safety, he stressed, “We will humbly accept the results of safety inspections and fundamentally eliminate risks so that all group members can create results creatively in a safe workplace. We will fulfill our responsibility to establish and spread K-Safety best practices in domestic manufacturing and construction sites.”

In the keynote speech, Andrew McAfee, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, reviewed the evolution of society, economy, and industry driven by technological revolutions, and proposed growth strategies for companies navigating the transitional period of innovations such as AI, robotics, and quantum mechanics.

The following sessions, organized around three megatrends—New Mobility, AI Transformation, and Energy—provided insights for preparing for the future from a broader and long-term perspective through expert lectures, discussions, technology demonstrations, and dialogues.

The ‘New Mobility’ session introduced cases and implications of mobility innovation evolving into software, services, and aviation. The ‘AI Transformation’ session included demonstrations of robotics technology and analyzed changing manufacturing trends driven by advances in AI and robotics. The ‘Energy’ session addressed the shift from traditional fossil fuels to emerging electrification-centered systems, covering response cases and future strategies of major companies and countries.

Since his inauguration, In-hwa Chang has declared the management vision of “Materials for Tomorrow, Innovation for Excellence,” focusing on the importance of technology as one of the strategic directions for executing seven major future innovation tasks, including rebuilding the steel business and securing competitiveness in battery materials, and leading future technology-based super-gap businesses.

POSCO Group aims to strengthen its technology innovation system by encouraging technological development that drives sustainable growth through the POSCO Forum, the Group Technology Strategy Meeting chaired by the Chairman, and the POSCO Group Tech Forum, while reinforcing the link between technology and business strategy to secure world-class competitiveness and create new future businesses.

▲ In-hwa Chang, Chairman of POSCO Group, speaks with Andrew McAfee, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management and keynote speaker, at the 2025 POSCO Forum held at POSCO Songdo Global R&D Center on September 22.

Chairman In-hwa Chang: “I extend my deepest gratitude to all POSCO Group employees who made today’s honor possible··· We will leap forward as a global premier materials company through bold challenges and innovation”

Discusses manufacturing AI transformation and solutions to global economic fragmentation with opinion leaders, experts, and scholars at the Korea Society roundtable, exploring Korea-U.S. cooperation opportunities

POSCO Group announced its strategy for strengthening global leadership in New York, exploring manufacturing solutions through cooperation between Korea and the U.S. in the AI and energy sectors.

Chairman In-hwa Chang participated in the Global Steel Dynamics Forum hosted by World Steel Dynamics (WSD, a global steel industry analysis organization) in New York on June 18 (local time), introducing POSCO Group’s strategy for advancing as a premier future materials company.

The event was attended by steel industry leaders and approximately 500 industry stakeholders, including David Burritt, CEO of U.S. Steel, Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman of Cleveland Cliffs, and TV Narendran, CEO of Tata Steel.

The forum was made particularly meaningful with a ceremony inducting POSCO Holdings as the first global steel group to be permanently enshrined in the WSD Hall of Fame.

▲POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang (left) poses for a commemorative photo after receiving a specially crafted WSD Hall of Fame plaque in the form of a baseball jersey from WSD CEO Philipp Englin at the WSD Forum held in New York on June 18 (local time).

POSCO Holdings has been ranked first for 15 consecutive years since 2010 in WSD’s “World’s Most Competitive Steel Company” evaluation, which has assessed 35 steel companies worldwide since 2002 across 23 criteria, including technological innovation, production scale, cost reduction, processing costs, financial soundness, customer accessibility, and raw material procurement. The company was inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of this honor and superior competitiveness.

Chairman Chang expressed his sentiments, saying, “The 15 years of maintaining first place in overall competitiveness is by no means a short period, and I am deeply grateful for the valuable sweat and dedication of all POSCO employees.” He also conveyed his appreciation, noting that “the Hall of Fame induction represents encouragement and support from the global steel industry.”

He emphasized that this induction marks the beginning of a new chapter for the POSCO Group, which will continue its relentless efforts to enhance competitiveness through the realization of intelligent factories via AI and the development of hydrogen-based steelmaking technology, becoming a POSCO that grows responsibly through a bold and challenging spirit and continuous innovation.

Prior to the forum, Chairman In-hwa Chang participated in a roundtable organized by The Korea Society, an organization established to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between Korea and the United States, on June 17 to explore Korea-U.S. cooperation strategies centered on group businesses.

The roundtable was attended by experts and scholars from both countries in the fields of AI, geopolitics, and energy, including Korea Society Chairwoman Kathleen Stephens, President Thomas Byrne, University of Maryland Chair Professor Jay Lee, and American Energy Alliance President Mark Menezes.

The session featured in-depth discussions on Korea-U.S. cooperation opportunities in the steel, secondary battery materials, and energy sectors amid geopolitical uncertainties, including global economic fragmentation.

Additionally, practical solutions were explored to address challenges facing manufacturing during the AI transformation era, including the utilization of the “Industrial Large Knowledge Model (ILKM)” that enhances reliability by integrating expert process knowledge and data from various fields into AI, as well as robot automation solutions for high-risk, non-standard manufacturing environments.

In April, Chairman In-hwa Chang attended the World Steel Association Executive Committee meeting in Australia, inspected the Senex Energy gas field project site in Australia, and visited the construction site of Ultium CAM, a cathode material production subsidiary located in Canada, to personally oversee global secondary battery materials business operations. In May, he participated in the opening ceremony of Australia’s Core Resources Research Institute, the first overseas resource-specialized research institute established by a Korean company, continuing his global management activities centered on steel and secondary battery materials businesses.

The 174,000㎥-class carrier will make at least five annual round trips between Korea and the U.S., expanding the group’s market share in the North American energy sector

Completing its LNG value chain, encompassing production, import, storage, and power generation within the POSCO Group

Accelerating the group’s energy business with a stable supply system based on long-term North American LNG contracts

POSCO Group is accelerating its business expansion in the energy sector through the introduction of a LNG-dedicated carrier. Amid growing uncertainties in the global energy supply chain, this strategic move enables the group to establish a stable energy transportation system.

On the 23rd, POSCO INTERNATIONAL held a naming ceremony for the group’s first LNG-dedicated carrier, ‘HL FORTUNA,’ at HD Hyundai Samho in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do. ‘FORTUNA’ is a Latin word, which means ‘fortune.’

The naming ceremony was attended by key group executives, including Lee Kye-In, POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO and Lee Yu-Kyung, POSCO Vice President, along with industry leaders such as Kim Jae-Eul, CEO of HD Hyundai Samho, and Seo Myung-Deuk, President of H-Line Shipping, to share the significance of securing LNG transportation assets and discuss future opportunities for collaboration.

The success of this carrier project stems from a collaborative effort among three companies from different industries—energy, shipbuilding, and shipping—where POSCO INTERNATIONAL oversees long-term LNG procurement and operations, HD Hyundai Samho handles the ship’s construction, and H-Line Shipping manages carrier operations.

As a 174,000㎥-class LNG carrier, measuring 299 meters in length and 46.4 meters in width, the HL FORTUNA is specifically optimized for transporting North American LNG. Its capacity allows it to carry enough natural gas to power South Korea for 12 hours per trip.
*Capable of transporting at least 78,000 tons per trip

Equipped with a dual-fuel system using LNG as its primary fuel and a highly efficient re-liquefaction system that cools evaporated gas for reuse, the carrier is designed to flexibly respond to international environmental regulations.

Following its delivery on the 27th, the carrier will undergo sea trials and begin global LNG trading operations in the second half of the year. Starting in 2026, it will load LNG at Cheniere’s terminal in Louisiana, USA, for the purposes of domestic import and overseas trading. The carrier is scheduled to make at least five round trips annually to POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s Gwangyang LNG terminal, primarily transporting LNG under long-term North American contracts.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL has already secured a long-term contract with Cheniere Energy for 400,000 tons of LNG a year and a 700,000-ton contract with Mexico Pacific, steadily expanding the group’s LNG import foundation. As the Mexico Pacific project progresses, the company will prepare additional dedicated carriers to secure stable transportation.

“The introduction of this dedicated carrier significantly strengthens the group’s LNG value chain, from gas field production right through to import, storage, and power generation, providing a robust foundation to effectively respond to the challenges of global protectionism,” a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official remarked. “We are committed to continuously securing additional carriers to further enhance supply stability and LNG trading efficiency while simultaneously strengthening our global supply chain capabilities.”

▲ POSCO Group’s first LNG-dedicated carrier ‘HL FORTUNA’

POSCO Group to co-invest in Hyundai Motor Group’s Louisiana steel mill in the US, securing a marketing foothold for North American automotive customers

Leveraging POSCO Group’s secondary battery materials business competitiveness to strengthen cooperation in establishing stable supply chains and developing next-generation materials

Evolving the 50-year partnership of ‘steel and automotive’ into a sustainable strategic relationship centered on ‘low-carbon steel and future mobility’

POSCO Group and Hyundai Motor Group, representing South Korea’s manufacturing industry, have joined hands to secure a leading position in the global future mobility materials market.

On April 21, POSCO Group held a signing ceremony for a ‘Memorandum of Understanding for Mutual Cooperation in Steel and Secondary Battery Fields’ with Hyundai Motor Group at Hyundai’s Gangnam-daero headquarters, agreeing to create sustainable synergy in low-carbon steel and secondary battery markets amid global economic blocks and rapidly changing trade environments.

With this MOU, POSCO Group aims to establish itself as a global top-tier supplier of future mobility steel and secondary battery materials. In contrast, as a worldwide top 3 automaker, Hyundai Motor Group aims to lead the future automobile market by stably procuring customized premium materials.

The two companies will cooperate in global joint ventures to overcome trade environment challenges to effective carbon-neutral transitions for low-carbon steel production in the steel sector. As the first fruit of this cooperation, POSCO Group will participate in Hyundai Motor Group’s recently announced US steel investment as part of its end-to-end localization strategy for the steel business. This will allow POSCO Group to secure a foothold in the North American steel market, which has been restricted by protectionist trade barriers for the past decade.

POSCO, the steel business company, will be able to establish a flexible global production and sales system through this joint investment in a Louisiana steel mill, enabling smooth material supply to the US and Mexico regions. POSCO currently operates steel processing centers in North America (US/Mexico), including its automotive steel plant (POSCO-Mexico), serving various automakers as customers.

In the secondary battery materials sector, POSCO Group’s strategy is actively responding to the global electric vehicle market post-Chasm by establishing a stable supply chain with Hyundai Motor Group, a global top 3 automaker. In particular, the two companies plan to find sustainable collaboration points in supply chain establishment and next-generation materials development, creating synergy between POSCO Group’s competitiveness on secondary battery materials business, from lithium to cathode and anode materials, and Hyundai Motor Group’s eco-friendly future mobility technology.

This strategic alliance has been under discussion between the two companies since last year as part of Chairman In-hwa Chang’s focus on strengthening POSCO Group’s position in overseas high-growth, high-profit steel markets through the ‘end-to-end localization strategy’ and flexibly responding to changes in the secondary battery materials market to prepare for the post-Chasm era.

The MOU signing was attended by Seok-won Han, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Planning & Coordination Division at Hyundai Motor Group, Ju-tae Lee, Head of Future Strategy Division at POSCO Holdings, and executives from both companies.

Ju-tae Lee, President of POSCO Holdings, said, “Based on the synergy between the two companies, we will be able to find solutions for sustainable growth across the group’s businesses, including steel and secondary battery materials, amid global trade pressures and paradigm shifts.”

Hyundai Motor Group and POSCO Group have grown into global leaders in the steel and automotive industries beyond the domestic market through their partnership, which has continued for over 50 years since 1973. With this strategic alliance as a stepping stone, the two companies expect to create synergy for sustainable growth through ‘low-carbon steel and eco-friendly mobility’ amid global industry restructuring and paradigm shifts.

Meanwhile, POSCO Group is reorganizing its business around steel, energy materials, and new businesses under ‘2 Core + New Engine,’ focusing on strengthening its fundamental competitiveness to build a long-term growth structure. In particular, POSCO Group is building a portfolio of steel materials for future mobility, including ‘GIGA Steel’ for automotive steel plates that leverages high strength and lightweight advantages, as well as battery packs and electric vehicle motor materials, along with a secondary battery materials value chain equipped with cathode and anode material production and recycling capabilities based on global lithium salt lakes and mines.

▲POSCO Group and Hyundai Motor Group signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding for Mutual Cooperation in Steel and Secondary Battery Fields’ at Hyundai’s Gangnam-daero headquarters on April 21. Attendees included (from left) Seok-won Han, Senior Vice President and Head of Planning & Coordination Division at Hyundai Motor Group, and Ju-tae Lee, President and Head of Future Strategy Division at POSCO Holdings.

Chairman Chang: “Global collaboration must be expanded for low-carbon steel production process development and carbon reduction”

Visited the onshore gas field group company, Senex Energy… Inspected the global energy value chain business, including natural gas development

POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang embarked on a three-day global management tour to Australia starting April 7 to strengthen steel business competitiveness and energy value chains.

Chairman Chang attended the World Steel Association’s first-half regular meeting in Sydney, Australia, and met with global steel company representatives to discuss international steel business issues, including the integrated steel mill in India and technological development cooperation plans. He then moved to Senex Energy’s gas field in Queensland to inspect the natural gas upstream business site.

At the World Steel Association Executive Committee meeting held on April 7, Chairman Chang represented the Korean steel industry in discussions about major issues facing the global steel industry, including carbon reduction. He suggested development directions for key agenda items of this executive committee meeting, including △ environmental improvement effects of low-carbon processes and △ global standardization of carbon emission measurement criteria.

The World Steel Association is a global organization established with the goal of mutual understanding and development in the steel industry, with a total of 157 member companies, including steel companies worldwide, regional steel associations, and research institutes.

That day, Chairman Chang emphasized the need to expand global cooperation at the association level in the field of low-carbon processes, stating, “As global steel companies are pursuing the development of various carbon reduction technologies, we must expand collaboration among global steel companies for the development of low-carbon steel production processes, carbon reduction, and expansion of future demand.”

In particular, Chairman Chang also sought new opportunities by meeting with CEOs of global steel companies to overcome the uncertain global steel industry environment and to cooperate on joint ventures and technology development. He had multifaceted discussions with Jayant Acharya, President of India’s JSW Steel, about integrated steel mill joint ventures. He consulted with Liu Jian, Co-President of China’s Hesteel Group, on ways to strengthen cooperation for joint ventures currently operating in China.

▲POSCO was selected as a Sustainability Champion for the fourth consecutive year. From left: Edwin Basson, Secretary General of the World Steel Association; In-hwa Chang, Chairman of POSCO Group; Narendran, Chairman of the World Steel Association and Chairman of Tata Steel.

At the World Steel Association members’ meeting held the next day, POSCO was selected as a Sustainability Champion for the fourth consecutive year. With this award, POSCO once again solidified its position as a leading company in the ESG field in the global steel industry.

▲POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang (second from left) inspects operations at Senex Energy’s gas field in Queensland, Australia, on April 9.

Subsequently, Chairman Chang visited the Senex Energy gas field site in Queensland, Australia, on the 9th. Senex Energy is an onshore gas field representing the upstream portion of POSCO Group’s natural gas business, which was acquired by POSCO International in 2022 for 442.42 million Australian dollars (approximately 400 billion won).

Senex Energy is pursuing a project to expand natural gas production from an annual 20PJ (petajoules) to 60PJ (equivalent to approximately 1.2 million tons of LNG) by 2026. Once the production expansion is completed, it is expected to supply 10% of eastern Australia’s domestic natural gas demand.

Meanwhile, as Chairman of the Korea-Australia Economic Cooperation Committee, Chairman Chang contributes to close economic cooperation and industrial competitiveness enhancement between the two countries, beyond traditional resource sectors such as minerals and energy, to future business areas.

Establishing a Unified Human Rights Management System Centered on the Holding Company to Standardize Criteria and Solutions at Global Business Sites

Chairman In-hwa Chang: “We Aim to Build a Corporate Culture Where All Employees and Stakeholders are Respected, Beyond Just Being a Model in Global Human Rights Management.”

POSCO Group has proclaimed a “Group Human Rights Commitment” to implement human rights management in line with global standards and to establish a more structured human rights management system at the group level.

On Feb. 20, POSCO Group held a proclamation ceremony for its “Group Human Rights Commitment” at the Seoul POSCO Center. Attending the event on this day were POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang, along with the CEOs of six group business companies—POSCO, POSCO International, POSCO E&C, POSCO Future M, POSCO DX, and POSCO Steeleon—as well as Sung-taek Lim, the representative attorney of Jipyong LLC. Furthermore, the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Korea Association, the world’s largest sustainability initiative, delivered a congratulatory address by video.

Chairman Chang emphasized, “Respect for human rights is the starting point of the company’s sustainable growth and ethical management. Building upon this commitment, POSCO Group will move past its role as a model company in human rights management at global business sites and will foster a corporate culture where all employees and stakeholders are respected.”

Attorney Lim said, “POSCO Group’s establishment of a human rights management system and proclamation of its human rights commitment demonstrate the company’s commitment and sincerity in addressing various human rights issues that may arise at its global business sites. Moreover, the fact that it was announced on the UN-designated ‘World Day of Social Justice’ makes it even more meaningful.”

POSCO Group launched the Group Human Rights Management Task Force (TF) in October last year in collaboration with Jipyong LLC and the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Korea Network. This initiative was driven by the expansion of the group’s business domains, the globalization of its supply chain, the legislative enforcement of human rights management in advanced countries, and the growing demands from major global investors to address social issues, including human rights. Through this TF, POSCO Group has established a group-wide human rights management system in line with global standards by undertaking key initiatives such as ▲ establishing a human rights governance framework, ▲ developing a human rights due diligence methodology, and ▲ implementing an integrated grievance mechanism.

In particular, POSCO Group has launched the Group Human Rights Management Council led by POSCO Holdings for the standardization of human rights management among the holding company, business subsidiaries, and overseas branches, and is establishing a real-time monitoring system for potential human rights issues that may arise throughout the group’s business activities. Also, POSCO Group plans to proactively assess risk factors related to human rights for its global operations and among stakeholders and operate a company-wide human rights risk assessment system to identify, prevent, mitigate, and address negative impacts. Through these efforts, the company intends to internalize human rights management as part of its corporate culture.

POSCO Group intends to publish a separate Human Rights Management Report as part of the upcoming POSCO Holdings Sustainability Report, set for release in June. The group plans to transparently disclose its human rights management initiatives and actively share the implementation status of its human rights management framework through ongoing dialogue with global investors.

※ Read the full text of ‘Group Human Rights Commitment’ 

▲POSCO Group held the “Group Human Rights Commitment” proclamation ceremony on Feb. 20 at POSCO Center in Seoul. From the left in the photo: POSCO Steeleon CEO Si-youl Choun, POSCO Future M CEO Gi-chen Eom, POSCO CEO Hee-geun Lee, POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang, POSCO E&C CEO Hee-min Jeong, POSCO DX CEO Min-suk Shim, and POSCO International Vice President Kyung-jin Jung.