Following projects in China, Mongolia, and New Zealand last year, the company is expanding its efforts to preserve overseas independence movement heritage and promote a culture of honoring national heroes

In partnership with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO Lee Kye-In) is expanding its project this year to install PosART panels at overseas historic sites related to the Korean independence movement in countries such as Mexico, the United States, and the Netherlands. Following the installation of 64 panels at historic sites in China, Mongolia, and New Zealand last year, the company plans to install a total of 111 panels in the three countries by March next year, including both new installations and replacements of existing panels.

The project is being carried out as part of the POSCO 1% Foundation’s social contribution project, funded by voluntary donations from its executives and employees. The goal of the project is to preserve the historical value of overseas historic sites related to the Korean independence movement and raise awareness among overseas Koreans and local visitors of the history and significance of the movement.

On National Liberation Day, August 15 (local time), POSCO INTERNATIONAL and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico held a reopening ceremony for the Merida Korean National Association Local Hall (now the Museum Commemorating the Immigration of Koreans to Yucatán) in Merida, Mexico. As part of the reopening, the company replaced the building’s entrance sign and information boards with PosART panels and enhanced the museum’s visitor information facilities.

The ceremony was attended by Lee Joo-Il, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Mexico; Ko Young-Hak, Head of POSCO INTERNATIONAL Mexico E-Mobility; Kim Yoon-Tae, Head of the Management Support Office at Kia Mexico Corporation; representatives from the Mexico branch of the Cultural Heritage Restoration Foundation; and members of the Korean Descendants Association in Mexico City, who gathered to reflect on the significance of the project.

The Merida Korean National Association Local Hall was used by the Mexico City branch of the Korean National Association in 1942 preserving the history of the Korean community in Mexico and the activities of the Korean National Association. It is now operated as the Korean Immigration History Museum, where visitors can learn about the early history of Korean immigration to Mexico and the Korean independence movement.

Following the project in Mexico, POSCO INTERNATIONAL will replace the entrance sign at the Yi Jun Peace Museum in The Hague, the Netherlands, in September. From the end of this year through March next year, it will also install 107 new panels at the Hung Sa Dahn Headquarters in Los Angeles, the United States, continuing its efforts to preserve overseas historic sites related to the Korean independence movement.

PosART is a high-resolution color steel plate created by applying inkjet printing technology to steel, offering over four times the resolution of conventional printed steel plates for precise designs. Its excellent durability and corrosion resistance allow it to retain its quality over extended periods in a wide range of climatic conditions, making it well suited for signage and information facilities at historical and cultural heritage sites.

“Preserving the overseas heritage of the Korean independence movement and passing on its history to future generations, especially around National Liberation Day, is a social responsibility that companies should also share,” said a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official. “We will continue to contribute to preserving independence movement heritage and promoting a culture of honoring national heroes by working with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and relevant organizations in Korea and abroad.”

Meanwhile, in May, approximately 24,000 executives and employees of POSCO Group across 23 countries participated in Global Volunteer Week, the Group’s flagship social contribution initiative, engaging in volunteer activities tailored to local needs, including improving housing conditions for vulnerable groups, responding to wildfires, and enhancing educational environments. In addition, the POSCO 1% Foundation continues to expand its social contribution initiatives, including a project to provide advanced assistive devices to national veterans, while contributing to stronger ties with local communities and promoting a culture of sharing.

▲ Group photo from the reopening ceremony of the Merida Korean National Association Local Hall (now the Museum Commemorating the Immigration of Koreans to Yucatán) in Mexico. From left in the back row: Ko Young-hak, President of POSCO INTERNATIONAL Mexico E-Mobility; Kim Yun-tae, Vice President of Business Support Group at Kia Mexico; Juan Durán Cong, President of the Korean Descendants Association of Yucatán; and Lee Joo-il, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Mexico

▲ PosART information panel installed at the Merida Korean National Association Local Hall (now the Museum Commemorating the Immigration of Koreans to Yucatán) in Mexico

▲ Group photo from the reopening ceremony of the Merida Korean National Association Local Hall (now the Museum Commemorating the Immigration of Koreans to Yucatán) in Mexico. From left in the back row: Ko Young-hak, President of POSCO INTERNATIONAL Mexico E-Mobility; Kim Yun-tae, Vice President of Business Support Group at Kia Mexico; Juan Durán Cong, President of the Korean Descendants Association of Yucatán; and Lee Joo-il, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Mexico

▲ PosART information panel installed at the Merida Korean National Association Local Hall (now the Museum Commemorating the Immigration of Koreans to Yucatán) in Mexico

Minister of Trade, Industry and Resource KIM Jung Kwan and POSCO group Chairman CHANG In Hwa attended the ceremony, discussing cooperation on local permitting and investment conditions

Diversified the permanent magnet value chain with Brazilian rare earths as part of POSCO group’s “Triple-Core” strategy to strengthen its resource supply chain

POSCO group is creating synergies with Brazil to secure the domestic supply chain for core materials and unlock new growth opportunities

POSCO group (POSCO HOLDINGS CEO CHANG In Hwa) is stepping up efforts to secure and diversify its core mineral supply chain by partnering with Meteoric Resources, a rare earth supplier in Brazil.

On the 28th (local time), POSCO INTERNATIONAL signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Meteoric Resources, the rare earth development company currently working on a project in Brazil, at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo in Brazil to secure a stable supply of rare earth raw materials and establish a resilient supply chain.

The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Trade, Industry and Resource KIM Jung Kwan, POSCO HOLDINGS CEO CHANG In Hwa, POSCO INTERNATIONAL President LEE Kye In, and Meteoric Resources CEO Stuart Gale, underscoring the significance of the partnership as a joint effort between the two countries’ governments and companies to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals.

Under the MOU, the two companies agreed to cooperate closely throughout the project, including ▲ negotiating key commercial terms for a long-term rare earth supply agreement, ▲ pursuing an equity investment linked to the long-term supply agreement, and ▲ executing a Definitive Agreement.

Under the partnership, Meteoric Resources will supply rare earth intermediate products from its Caldeira Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to POSCO INTERNATIONAL. POSCO INTERNATIONAL will then produce rare earth oxides under its independently developed separation and refining project and provide a stable supply to major permanent magnet manufacturers in Korea and abroad.

CEO CHANG In Hwa said, “By linking POSCO group’s integrated rare earth value chain—spanning raw material procurement, separation and refining, and ultimately permanent magnet production—with Brazil’s status as home to the world’s second-largest rare earth reserves, we will help stabilize Korea’s supply chain for the core materials essential to the future mobility industry, while also opening up new growth opportunities for the Group.”

POSCO group is already expanding its presence in the global market, having secured a series of supply agreements with leading automakers in North America and Europe for rare earth permanent magnets used in electric vehicle (EV) traction motors. The Group plans to maximize the competitiveness of its value chain, from raw material procurement to final product supply, by integrating Brazilian rare earth raw materials into the global automotive supply chain.

Meanwhile, at its Investor Day held on July 2, POSCO group unveiled its “Triple-Core” strategy, centered on industrial resources (steel), strategic resources (lithium, rare earths, and rare gases), and energy resources (LNG and renewable energy). POSCO group is focusing its capabilities on securing mineral resources that are vital to national economic security and serve as core materials for future industries, while diversifying its global supply chain to reduce reliance on any single country.

In the strategic resources sector, the Group is strengthening its competitive position through early investments in high-quality assets, including the Hombre Muerto Norte Lithium brine project in Argentina and the Wodgina and Mt. Marion lithium mines in Australia, while also planning to reinforce its leadership in the global supply chain by completing a full-cycle value chain for critical minerals, including rare earths. As part of this effort, the Group signed an MOU in July with Mongolia’s Chinggis Khaan Sovereign Wealth Fund to cooperate in the critical minerals sector.

▲ POSCO HOLDINGS CEO CHANG In Hwa, POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO LEE Kye In, South Korean Industry Minister KIM Jung Kwan, Meteoric Resources CEO Stuart Gale and Meteoric Resources Brazil CEO Marcelo de Carvalho (from L to R) pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen the rare earth supply chain during a bilateral business roundtable in Brazil on July 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resource.

Enabled real-time sharing of transaction information between the headquarters and overseas subsidiaries through a shared ledger

Tokenized accounts receivable as real-world assets (RWAs)

Validated AI agent-based automation of trade operations and other key capabilities

On the 23rd, POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO LEE Kye-In) announced that it has completed a proof of concept (PoC) for a blockchain- and AI-based trade finance infrastructure in collaboration with LG CNS, applying the technologies in a real-world global trading environment.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL undertook this PoC to improve the efficiency of managing the growing volume of transactions and settlements with overseas subsidiaries driven by its global business expansion, while accelerating the digital transformation of its trade operations. The company demonstrated digital technologies for global trade in three key areas: ▲ real-time sharing of transaction information through a shared ledger, ▲ tokenization of accounts receivable as real-world assets (RWAs), and ▲ AI agent-based automation of trade operations.

The validation focused on assessing whether digitally connecting and automating transaction, settlement, and document review processes across global trade operations could improve operational efficiency and strengthen risk management. POSCO INTERNATIONAL provided the proof-of-concept environment based on its global trade network and real-world transaction data, while LG CNS was responsible for system architecture design and the validation of blockchain and AI technologies.

First, the two companies implemented a shared ledger system based on blockchain to enable real-time sharing of transaction information among headquarters, overseas subsidiaries, and trading partners. In the past, transaction information required repetitive verification during the contract and settlement processes as it was managed separately by country and subsidiary. Under the shared ledger-based structure, all transaction participants can access and verify the same transaction information in real time, reducing operational risks caused by information discrepancies while improving the efficiency of contractual and settlement processes.

In the area of tokenizing accounts receivable as RWAs, the company validated a framework that enables receivables generated from actual trade transactions to be issued, transferred, settled, traded, and managed as digital assets. The technical validation utilized Injective, a blockchain network specialized for the corporate finance environment.

Based on the Injective network’s architecture—which allows compliance, privacy, and regulatory response functions to be integrated into the protocol layer—the project also validated the control functions necessary for corporate finance. Specifically, the companies verified the feasibility of implementing permission-based asset management, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures, investor eligibility screening, and asset transfer restrictions, while assessing whether blockchain technology could be applied to the entire process of inter-company accounts receivable transactions.

An AI agent capable of automatically reading documents and detecting errors was applied to the review of letters of credit (LCs) and trade documents to evaluate its ability to reduce variations in review quality resulting from differences in the proficiency of personnel and to minimize human errors.

Global trade operations require a high level of expertise, as the required documents and procedures vary by country, trading partner, and contract terms. In particular, even minor errors, such as typographical mistakes in letters of credit (LCs) or omitted clauses, can result in payment delays or even payment rejections. The evaluation confirmed that utilizing the AI agent during the preliminary review stage enables the early identification of potential risks and helps reduce variations in work quality across overseas subsidiaries.

“This PoC is significant as it demonstrated the practical applicability of AI and blockchain technologies in a real-world trade environment,” said a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official. “We plan to finalize our pilot operation plans in the second half of this year, focusing on areas where the PoC confirmed meaningful improvements in operational efficiency.”

▲ POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s headquarters in Songdo.

Attracts orders four times the offering size, validating business competitiveness and growth potential

Strengthens position as a global blue-chip issuer with a stable portfolio spanning energy, materials, and agro

On the 23rd, POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO LEE Kye In) issued its first global bond since its founding, making a successful debut in the global capital markets.

This bond was issued as a single tranche of USD 500 million with a five-year maturity, and the final issuance rate was fixed at 90 bps over the five-year U.S. Treasury yield. With the total order book reaching USD 2 billion, which is four times the issuance amount, the bond was priced 30 bps tighter than the initial price guidance (IPG).

This issuance is significant as it marks the company’s first independently issued global bond in the overseas capital markets. Despite heightened volatility in global financial markets amid recent tensions in the Middle East, the company successfully secured strong demand from large-scale investors, earning widespread recognition from global investors for its business competitiveness and growth potential.

Ahead of the issuance, the company held investor presentations and global conference calls for major institutional investors in the United States, Europe, and Asia. During these sessions, it highlighted its well-balanced business portfolio across energy, materials, and agro, as well as its stable revenue structure and role as a core affiliate of the POSCO Group. Investors showed strong interest in the company’s business stability and growth prospects, resulting in orders totaling four times the offering size.

In particular, investors paid close attention to the company’s growth strategy, which focuses on its energy and agro businesses. POSCO INTERNATIONAL is strengthening its competitiveness across the LNG value chain by expanding the production capacity of Senex Energy in Australia, while accelerating the growth of its global food business, centered on PT.PAR, its Indonesian palm business subsidiary.

The funds raised through the issuance will be used to repay existing foreign currency borrowings and for general corporate purposes. By region, investors from Asia accounted for 67%, followed by the U.S. at 27% and Europe at 6%. By investor type, asset managers accounted for 65%, banks for 33%, and other investors for 2%. It is notable that U.S. investors accounted for 27% of the total despite this being the company’s debut issuance. The strong participation from U.S. investors, who represent the world’s largest bond investor base, demonstrates that POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s creditworthiness is widely recognized among core investors. This solid foundation is expected to support the company’s efforts to secure a stable overseas funding base going forward.

The issuance was jointly led by BNP Paribas, Citi, Crédit Agricole, HSBC, Mizuho, and Korea Development Bank as joint bookrunners. Global credit rating agencies S&P and Moody’s assigned investment-grade ratings of BBB and Baa2, respectively, to POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s U.S. dollar-denominated bonds.

“This global bond issuance reflects the recognition of our competitiveness and growth potential in overseas capital markets,” a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official stated. “We will build a stable financing system by diversifying our funding currencies and expanding our overseas investor base, while further strengthening our position as a global blue-chip issuer.”

Meanwhile, POSCO INTERNATIONAL plans to use this opportunity to expand engagement with global capital markets and continue strengthening its overseas investor base. The company also plans to reinforce its future growth foundation across its energy, materials, and agro businesses while enhancing its competitiveness as a global integrated corporation.

▲ POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s headquarters in Songdo.

Marks a new growth phase in its agro business by securing seed capabilities

POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO LEE Kye-In) has completed the post-merger integration (PMI) of Sampoerna Agro, the Indonesian palm company it acquired last year, and has officially unveiled the new corporate identity (CI) for the company, which has been renamed Prime Agri Resources (PT.PAR).

The unveiling of the new CI marks the official launch of PT.PAR and underscores POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s establishment of a fully integrated palm business value chain spanning seed development, plantation operations, and refining.

On June 17, POSCO INTERNATIONAL held a ceremony to unveil PT.PAR’s new CI at the Raffles Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. PT.PAR completed the necessary legal procedures in Indonesia in January and finalized its official company name. This ceremony was held to officially announce the completion of the post-merger integration (PMI) and introduce the company’s new corporate identity to both internal and external stakeholders.

The event was attended by YOON Soon Gu, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia, Eddy Martono, Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, and other major business partners and industry stakeholders.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL made an investment of approximately KRW 1.3 trillion between last year and early this year to acquire a controlling stake in Sampoerna Agro, expanding its palm plantation holdings by 128,000 hectares across Sumatra and Kalimantan. This acquisition provided POSCO INTERNATIONAL with a seed-specialized subsidiary securing the second-largest market share in Indonesia, along with advanced R&D capabilities, further enhancing the company’s competitiveness in the palm business.

Through this acquisition, POSCO INTERNATIONAL has expanded its business scope beyond its existing plantation-focused operations to include seed development capabilities. Going forward, PT.PAR will serve as the core production base for POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s palm business and as the hub of its seed business operations.

With the launch of PT.PAR, POSCO INTERNATIONAL has completed a three-company structure for its Indonesian palm business, comprising PT.BIA, PT.PAR, and PT.ARC. △PT.BIA operates palm plantations in the Papua region (26,000 ha), △PT.PAR conducts plantation and seed businesses in the Sumatra and Kalimantan regions (128,000 ha), and △PT.ARC is a palm oil refining joint venture established with GS Caltex (annual refining capacity of 500,000 tons).

Through this network, POSCO INTERNATIONAL has achieved vertical integration across the entire palm business value chain, from seed development and plantation operations to crude palm oil production, refined oil production, and the supply of biofuel feedstocks. The company plans to move beyond plantation operations and establish itself as a global food and materials platform covering a broad range of food and bio-based raw materials.

The combined area of palm plantations in Indonesia owned by POSCO INTERNATIONAL is 154,000 hectares, approximately 2.5 times the size of Seoul. As the benefits of its expanded production base and enhanced seed business capabilities are expected to materialize fully, the company aims to more than double its palm business operating profit this year compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the new PT.PAR CI features a palm tree symbol and organically flowing curves that represent the connectivity of the palm business value chain—from seed development and plantation operations to palm oil production—while reflecting the company’s vision for sustainable growth.

“The launch of PT.PAR and the unveiling of its new CI mark a new phase of growth in our agro business, driven by an expanded production base and enhanced seed business capabilities in the palm sector,” a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official stated. “We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of our palm business and further solidify our position as a global food and materials platform.”

▲ POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s subsidiary PT.PAR is holding a Corporate Identity (CI) launch ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia. (From the 8th person on the left in the back row: LEE Kye in, President of POSCO INTERNATIONAL; YOON Soon gu, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia; and Eddy Martono, Chairman of the Palm Oil Association.)

▲ POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s Indonesia Palm Business Portfolio

▲ New CI of PT.PAR (palm tree-inspired logo)

Securing a global supply chain connecting Southeast Asian raw materials to permanent magnet production in the U.S.

Held a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., attended by senior U.S. government officials and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S.

Targeting mass production in 2028 to proactively respond to the restructuring of the supply chain for critical minerals in the U.S.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO LEE Kye In) is making a full-scale entry into the U.S. market for rare earth separation and purification as well as integrated permanent magnet production.

On May 21 (local time), POSCO INTERNATIONAL signed an agreement with ReElement Technologies Corporation in Washington, D.C., to establish a joint venture for rare earth separation and purification production in the United States.

The signing ceremony was attended by POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO LEE Kye-In, ReElement CEO Mark Jensen, senior officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Energy, and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S. The agreement reaffirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to building an independent supply chain for critical minerals at the national security level, while also strengthening industrial cooperation between South Korea and the U.S.

The two companies plan to jointly invest a total of USD 200 million to build a new rare earth separation and purification plant in the U.S. with an annual capacity of 6,000 tons and establish an integrated complex for the fully integrated production of permanent magnets. POSCO INTERNATIONAL will lead the management of the joint venture as the majority shareholder, while ReElement will provide its core separation and purification technologies.

Of the total project cost of USD 200 million, USD 100 million will be allocated to plant and equipment construction and initial operating funds, while the remaining USD 100 million will be allocated for future expansion based on market demand.

Last September, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in the presence of officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to launch the “Boiler Maker Project,” which, with this agreement, has now entered the full-scale implementation stage. The project holds strategic significance for South Korea-U.S. industrial cooperation in diversifying the global rare earth supply chain, which is currently heavily concentrated in a few specific countries.

Rare earths are critical materials used in advanced industries such as electric vehicle (EV) motors, robotics, and AI data centers. In particular, heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) play a vital role in the production of high-performance permanent magnets. As deposits are limited and most global production is concentrated in a few regions, supply stability is directly tied to industrial competitiveness.

Accordingly, the U.S. government is implementing various policies to strengthen domestic supply chains, including the launch of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and “Project Vault,” a strategic stockpiling program for critical minerals Industry experts believe companies securing local production bases early will gain a competitive edge in the U.S. market, as the shortage of rare earth separation and purification infrastructure in the U.S. is unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

The joint venture plans to produce key raw materials for permanent magnets, including neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr) oxides, as well as heavy rare earth oxides such as dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), and later expand into permanent magnet manufacturing using these materials. In the first phase, the joint venture will establish a production system with an annual capacity of 3,000 tons, followed by a second-phase expansion to increase capacity to 6,000 tons annually. Following pilot production in the fourth quarter of 2027, the companies will begin full-scale mass production in 2028.

This investment by POSCO INTERNATIONAL is expected to go beyond the establishment of a separation and purification plant and serve as a key foundation for building an integrated value chain spanning raw material procurement, separation and purification, permanent magnet production, and EV traction motor core manufacturing. In addition to pursuing investments in Southeast Asian mines to secure additional raw material sources, the company is also operating a joint raw materials task force with ReElement for management of domestic and overseas mining resources as well as recycled materials, while reviewing plans to further expand the supply chain.

“This joint venture goes beyond the establishment of a simple purification plant and marks the starting point for building a critical minerals value chain in the U.S., spanning from raw materials to final materials,” said POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO LEE Kye In. “The combination of the two companies’ global supply chain capabilities and innovative separation and purification technologies will create significant synergy.”

ReElement CEO Mark Jensen said, “By combining ReElement’s separation and purification platform with POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s global capabilities and industrial scale, we will build an integrated production system that addresses supply chain gaps in the market,” adding, “Both companies will work together to establish a stable supply chain that supports national security, clean energy, and next-generation advanced technologies.”

Since POSCO HOLDINGS CEO CHANG In Hwa took office, the POSCO group has been strengthening supply chain stability and enhancing its competitiveness in the materials market by proactively securing high-quality global resources in critical minerals sectors, including rare earths and battery materials. In April, POSCO Holdings consecutively signed an agreement to acquire lithium brine mining rights in Argentina and another agreement to invest in a lithium mine in Australia.

Meanwhile, ReElement Technologies Corporation, an affiliate of NASDAQ-listed American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC), is a leading company in the rare earth and critical minerals separation and purification sector. Based on its proprietary separation and purification process, the company converts a wide range of raw materials, including recycled materials recovered from permanent magnets, lithium-ion batteries, and industrial, defense, and technology waste, as well as ores, brine, and coal by-products, into high-purity products. Through this process, the company supports the development of a circular supply chain that balances economic efficiency with environmental sustainability.

▲ (From left) Mike Kopp, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy; Mark Jensen, CEO of ReElement; LEE Kye In, President & CEO of POSCO International; and PARK Chan-Ki, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States.

▲ (From left) SEO Yong Deok, Head of POSCO International’s North America Region; LEE Kyung Jin, Head of the Steel Business Division; Joshua Kroon, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce; William Kimmitt, Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce; LEE Kye In, President & CEO of POSCO International; Mark Jensen, CEO of ReElement; Shane Tragethon, Vice President of International Strategy at ReElement; PARK Chan-Ki, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States; and KIM Kyung-Chan, CEO of POSCO-America.

Reduced settlement period from five days to three, improving fund management efficiency

POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO LEE Kye In) announced on the 23rd that it issued blockchain-based digital bonds, marking the first instance among non-financial companies in Korea.

Digital bonds are securities in which the entire process of issuance, registration, trading and settlement is carried out using blockchain technology, offering enhanced security, faster settlement and greater accessibility for global investors compared with traditional bonds.

Valued at about KRW 140 billion (approximately HKD 780 million), the digital bonds issued by POSCO INTERNATIONAL were placed privately. The global financial institution HSBC served as the sole lead manager. The issuance marks the second such case in Korea, following Mirae Asset Securities, and the first by a non-financial company.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL reduced the settlement period for conventional foreign-currency bonds from five business days to three with the introduction of digital bonds. The move is expected to improve fund management efficiency by increasing the speed of capital turnover, while further expanding investor accessibility as a globally integrated business company.

Furthermore, the company expects a reduction in procurement interest rates through the “Issuance Cost Subsidy Scheme,” which Hong Kong financial authorities are providing on a temporary basis to vitalize the digital bond market.

As a global trading company centered on energy, materials, and agro businesses, POSCO INTERNATIONAL maintains a business structure in which stable foreign currency procurement is vital. Starting with this issuance, the company plans to accelerate the digitalization of finance while proactively responding to the markets of smart contracts and security token offerings (STOs, securities that divide real financial assets based on blockchain for issuance and distribution).

Meanwhile, POSCO INTERNATIONAL and HSBC held a signing ceremony for the issuance of digital bonds on the 16th at HSBC headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by CHUNG Kyung Jin, Head of Corporate Strategy and Finance Group at POSCO INTERNATIONAL, and RHEE Sang-ho, CEO of HSBC Securities. Taking this issuance as an opportunity, both companies agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of digital finance, including the introduction of blockchain and digital financial technologies, financing efficiency, and digital transformation.

“This issuance is a milestone that realizes digital transformation in the fund procurement sector following the introduction of a blockchain-based global payment system last year,” Chung Kyung-Jin, Head of Corporate Strategy and Finance Group at POSCO INTERNATIONAL, remarked at the signing ceremony. “We are actively promoting a full-scale digital transformation based on our digital transformation (DX) master plan and will proactively respond to changes in the digital finance environment, such as the STO market, to further strengthen our procurement competitiveness in the global market.”

Selected a specialist in rare earth separation and refining as its first investment target, committing KRW 8 billion

Secured raw material sources in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Laos for a production foundation with an annual capacity of 4,500 tons

Plans to establish a joint plant with U.S.-based ReElement to complete a North American production system for rare earths/permanent magnets/traction motor cores by 2028

POSCO INTERNATIONAL is accelerating the development of a global supply chain for heavy rare earth elements, essential materials for electric vehicle (EV) traction motors.

Partnering with POSCO INVESTMENT, the company has launched its inaugural KRW 25 billion CVC fund, and the fund’s first strategic move involves an KRW 8 billion investment in a domestic specialist in rare earth separation and refining.

This fund is more than a financial vehicle as it will serve as a strategic investment platform for technological synergy and new business expansion. The fund will be managed by POSCO INVESTMENT, a venture investment specialist within the POSCO Group, and both companies plan to continuously identify promising technology companies that align with future growth strategies.

At its heart, this investment is about securing a stable supply of heavy rare earths. Elements such as dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) are essential for high-performance magnets in EV traction motors, as they allow them to stay magnetic even under intense heat. However, because production and refining are concentrated in a few countries, these materials pose a significant structural risk to the global supply chain.

The target company of this investment is a domestic specialist in rare earth separation and refining that possesses integrated process capabilities ranging from separation and refining to metallization. The company holds proprietary technology to produce heavy rare earth oxides at 99.5% purity and further reduce them into metals at 99.9% purity. Through this investment, the company intends to secure a stable supply source within the supply chain of heavy rare earths and build a stronger foundation for future business growth.

Alongside this domestic investment, the company is also making Southeast Asia as a base to strengthen its global system for raw material procurement. It plans to establish a USD 30 million joint venture with a specialized Malaysian company for separation and refining, validate an environmentally friendly mining and stable production system, and then proceed to full-scale mass production. In addition, the company is participating in a rare earth separation and refining project in Laos to expand its raw material procurement network across Southeast Asia.

These regional efforts are expected to secure an annual supply of roughly 4,500 tons of rare earth separation and refining products (approximately USD 230 million at today’s market prices) that can be secured from Southeast Asia. POSCO INTERNATIONAL intends to make additional investments in the future to expand production capacity to more than 10,000 tons.

The company is also accelerating its entry into the North American market, leveraging raw materials secured in Southeast Asia. In partnership with the U.S.-based company ReElement, it is establishing a joint rare earth separation and refining plant with an annual capacity of 3,000 tons, with full-scale production scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027. Furthermore, it plans to secure an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons for permanent magnets by 2028.

Through this series of investments, it aims to complete the full rare earth value chain—from mining to separation and refining to permanent magnet production—and integrate it with the manufacturing of traction motor core to continuously strengthen the competitiveness of its core EV parts business.

“This investment is a strategic move to simultaneously diversify our core mineral supply chain and sharpen our competitiveness in the mobility materials business,” a POSCO INTERNATIONAL official stated. “Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our CVC fund to identify promising companies with strong business synergy and secure new growth drivers for the future.”

Meanwhile, POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa has consistently emphasized the importance of timely investments in core minerals to stabilize the global supply chain and capture future growth opportunities in the secondary battery materials market. Last year, POSCO HOLDINGS invested a total of KRW 1.1 trillion to expand its footprint in the lithium sector, securing additional stakes in Australian mines and Argentine brine projects. This year, commercial lithium production in Argentina has begun, and the Australian lithium mine is expected to start contributing to profits in the second half of the year, following the completion of the stake acquisition.

▲ Panoramic view of POSCO International headquarters.

On the same day, the company completed construction of a palm oil refinery on East Kalimantan Island with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons, in partnership with GS Caltex

Since Chairman Jang In-Hwa took office, the group has accelerated efforts to secure future growth businesses while also contributing to strengthening national food security

POSCO INTERNATIONAL has completed a full value chain in its palm oil business—from palm seed development to producing palm oil for biofuel feedstock—by acquiring Sampoerna Agro, one of Indonesia’s leading palm companies, and inaugurating a new palm oil refinery in the country on the same day.

▲ Panoramic view of the Sampoerna Agro palm plantation in Indonesia, acquired by POSCO INTERNATIONAL

On November 19, POSCO INTERNATIONAL acquired shares in the Indonesian listed company Sampoerna Agro, securing management control and becoming its largest shareholder. Intended to expand its global palm business value chain, the investment for this acquisition is estimated at approximately KRW 1.3 trillion, based on the exchange rate at the time of disclosure.

Through this acquisition, POSCO INTERNATIONAL has added 128,000 hectares of plantations, which is more than double the size of Seoul, and now possesses a total global farming base of 150,000 hectares, including its existing plantations in Papua, Indonesia.

As a leading Indonesia-listed company, Sampoerna Agro operates palm plantations across Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, owning a palm seed subsidiary and research institute that rank second in domestic market share in Indonesia.

What is noticeable about the newly acquired plantations is that stable profits can be generated from the very beginning of the acquisition since the palm trees have already reached maturity. The palm plantation business is a long-term, high-return industry, as harvesting becomes possible three to four years after planting and production continues for over 20 years.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL began developing palm plantations in Papua in 2011, entered commercial production in 2016, and now operates three milling plants that produce 210,000 tons of palm oil annually. As the existing plantations have reached maturity, they have made a significant contribution to the group’s profitability, recording an average operating profit margin of 36% through last year.

On the same day, POSCO INTERNATIONAL held the completion ceremony for PT. ARC (PT. AGPA Refinery Complex), a palm oil refining joint venture established with GS Caltex in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PT. ARC is owned 60% by POSCO INTERNATIONAL and 40% by GS Caltex, with a total investment of USD 210 million. The newly completed refinery has an annual refining capacity of 500,000 tons, equivalent to approximately 80% of Korea’s annual imports of refined palm oil.

▲ Group photo of key attendees at the inauguration ceremony of the East Kalimantan refining plant on the 19th. (From fourth left): Chun Seong-Rae, Head of Business Synergy at POSCO Holdings; Lee Seung-Hoon, Head of Supply & Trading at GS Caltex; Heo Se-Hong, GS Caltex CEO; Lee Kye-In, POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO; Park Soo-Deok, Mayor of Balikpapan Rahmad Mas’ud, and Korean Ambassador to Indonesia; Moon Jin-Seok, Vice Chairman of KORINDO Group.

The ceremony was attended by approximately 100 key figures, including POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO Lee Kye-In, GS Caltex CEO Heo Se-Hong, Indonesian Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung, Mayor of Balikpapan Rahmad Mas’ud, and Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Park Soo-Deok. The refinery, which broke ground in May last year and has now been completed, will undergo trial operations and is scheduled to begin full production later this year.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL will supply crude palm oil produced from its plantations to PT. ARC, and the refined oil produced there will be sold both in the Indonesian domestic market and exported to South Korea, China, and other countries. GS Caltex plans to leverage its accumulated expertise to enhance the operational efficiency of the refining facilities and supply refined palm oil for biodiesel to the Korean market.

Going forward, the POSCO Group is expected to strengthen its competitive edge in the global palm oil market, helping to reduce Korea’s reliance on imported edible oils and establish a stable production and supply base for palm oil for enhanced national food security.

Since Chairman Jang In-Hwa took office, the POSCO Group has been actively seeking future growth businesses for stable generation of profits. The strengthening of the Indonesian palm oil business is part of the group’s broader infrastructure initiatives, supported by POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s extensive experience in overseas agro business.

Meanwhile, to bolster future competitiveness, the POSCO Group restructured its business portfolio last year into “Two Core (steel + secondary battery materials) + New Engine (new growth businesses)” and is executing strategic investments to preempt high-growth, high-return markets such as India and North America. In India, the group is pursuing the establishment of a local steel mill in partnership with the JSW Group. In September, to proactively respond to trade barriers and accelerate its entry into the North American market, it signed an MOU with Cleveland-Cliffs for cooperation in the steel business.

Solidified relationship since 2023 MOU… Strengthens specific business opportunities and execution

Accelerates the expansion of renewable energy portfolio and response to low-carbon transition by integrating group capabilities

POSCO INTERNATIONAL (CEO Lee, Kye-In) is expanding cooperation with global energy leader Equinor of Norway in key energy sectors such as offshore wind, steel supply, and LNG.

On the 29th, at Cheongsongdae, Pohang, POSCO INTERNATIONAL announced that it signed an MOU with Equinor to expand energy cooperation. The signing ceremony was attended by POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO Lee, Kye-In and Equinor Korea CEO Bjørn Inge Braathen, among key officials from both companies.

Building on their 2023 MOU, POSCO INTERNATIONAL and Equinor plan to further strengthen their partnership by continuously turning individual project opportunities into concrete initiatives and enhancing their implementation.

POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO Lee, Kye-In said, “Through strategic partnership with Equinor, we will further strengthen competitiveness in the global energy market,” adding, “By pooling our expertise, we will take the lead in future energy sectors, including renewables and low-carbon fuels.”

Equinor Korea CEO Bjørn Inge Braathen stated, “With close cooperation with POSCO INTERNATIONAL, we plan to explore a wide range of new energy solutions both in Korea and globally.”

Meanwhile, POSCO INTERNATIONAL is currently operating a 14.5MW solar power facility and a 62.7MW onshore wind farm in Sinan, Jeollanam-do, and is developing a 300MW offshore wind farm in the nearby waters. It is also involved in offshore wind energy co-development projects in the East Sea region, further expanding its renewable energy portfolio.

Equinor is a Norwegian state-owned integrated energy company engaged in oil, gas, and renewables in over 30 countries worldwide. It is currently developing the ‘Firefly’ floating offshore wind project (750MW) off the coast of Ulsan. It obtained a power generation permit in the second half of 2021 and has been engaged in constructive discussions with the government and obligated suppliers following the fixed-price bidding; discussions to assess investment viability and secure financing are still ongoing.

With this MOU, POSCO INTERNATIONAL plans to combine POSCO Group’s capabilities in steel, energy, and infrastructure with Equinor’s global expertise in offshore wind energy, ultimately strengthening a global partnership model that leads the shift toward sustainable low-carbon ecosystems and the era of energy mix transition.

▲ POSCO INTERNATIONAL signed a business agreement with Equinor of Norway. (From left) Min Chang-Kie, Head of POSCO INTERNATIONAL Energy Business Division; Lee Kye-In, POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO; Bjørn Inge Braathen, Equinor Korea CEO.