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Beyond Steel, Building Tomorrow’s Value

Extend our reach beyond steel to forge value for tomorrow

At the dawn of Korea’s industrial rise, POSCO was always there.
On a barren land where steel had never been made,
we forged the foundations of our nation’s industry and powered its growth.
The technology and expertise tempered over those decades since
have become the unshakable bedrock on which POSCO group stands today.

Now we reach far beyond steel,
turning that legacy into greater value.
From driving growth of a single nation,
we now devote ourselves to the prosperity of humanity—bringing true abundance to the world we share.

50-Year History: Full Narrative (Korean) 50-Year History: Photo Collection
Construction site of Pohang Works

The Rise of Korean Steel

Human civilization made notable advancements by discovering iron and making steel. Likewise, POSCO’s growth and Korea’s economic development share a parallel success story. Devoid of financial capital or requisite skills, POSCO’s founders took a bold step into uncharted territory with fierce conviction to build a steelmaking industry that would serve as the backbone of Korea’s economic development.
On Apr.1,1968, the company was officially established through an inaugural ceremony. Hence, began the saga of the largest and greatest integrated steel mills in the world. The toil and sweat of our predecessors, armed with the ‘do or die’ faith in steel, was rewarded with when the first molten iron was tapped from the blast furnace.

1967

06.30 Korean government selects Pohang as the site for the steel mill

09.11 Korea Tungsten is selected to build and operate the steel mill

10.03 Steel mill groundbreaking ceremony is held

1968

04.01 Pohang Iron & Steel Company is established, with Mr. Tae-jun Park as its first president

05.20 Pohang Construction Office, a.k.a. Rommel House, is opened

1969

08.04 The Korean government sets a capacity target of 1.03 million tons for the company

1970

04.01 Construction on Pohang Steel Mill Phase 1 begins

1971

01.27 Steel Scholarship Foundation is established

05.13 Pohang Industrial Furnace Co., Ltd. (now POSCO Future M) is established

08.20 First-ever emergency order is issued to speed up Hot Rolling Plant construction

1972

07.04 Pohang Heavy Plate Plant construction is completed (first shipment loaded on Jul. 31)

12.31 Headquarters is relocated to Pohang, and Seoul Office is opened

1973

06.09 At 7:30 am, the first molten iron is tapped at Pohang Blast Furnace No. 1

07.03 Pohang Steel Mill Phase 1 construction is completed

The Pinnacle of Korea’s Steel Journey

Miracle on Yeongilman Bay was only the beginning. POSCO had higher aspirations – to become the global No. 1 steelmaker. Pohang Steelworks represents a pioneering project on barren wasteland;
Gwangyang Steelworks completes that mission by applying more advanced technology on reclaimed land on the sea.
Through relentless dedication and passion, POSCO built a steelmaking legend admired by the world.

1974

12.30 Pohang Iron & Steel Company reaches $100 million in steel exports and ₩100 billion in revenues

1976

05.31 Pohang Steel Mill Phase 2 construction is completed

11.16 Steel Education Foundation is established

1977

01.01 R&D Center is launched

08.02 Defective concrete base of a gas turbine in Pohang Steel Mill Phase 3 is demolished

1978

10.30 Pohang Iron & Steel Company is selected to build and operate the second steel mill

12.08 Pohang Steel Mill Phase 3 construction is completed

1981

02.18 Pohang Steel Mill Phase 4 construction is completed

02.28 Pohang Iron & Steel Company transitions from state-invested enterprise to state-financed enterprise and established a chairmanship structure

11.04 Gwangyang Bay is selected as the site for the second steel mill

1982

09.28 Gwangyang revetment construction begins

1983

05.25 Second-stage construction on Pohang Steel Mill Phase 4 is completed

1984

08.06 Pohang CTS construction is completed

11.30 Gwangyang revetment construction is completed (13.6 km)

1985

03.05 Construction is completed on Gwangyang Steel Mill Phase 1

10.18 Gwangyang groundwork is completed

1986

12.03 Pohang University of Science and Technology is established

1987

03.03 Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) is established

05.07 Gwangyang Steel Mill Phase 1 construction is completed

1988

02.15 Pohang Galvanized Steel Sheet (now POSCO Steeleon) is founded

06.10 Pohang Iron & Steel Company is listed on the Korea Exchange (People’s Stock No.1)

07.02 Gwangyang Steel Mill Phase 2 construction is completed

1989

01.19 Construction of Cold Rolling Plant No.1 at Gwangyang Steelworks is completed

01.27 Cumulative crude steel output reaches 100 million tons

11.27 POSDATA (now POSCO ICT) is established

1990

12.04 Gwangyang Steel Mill Phase 3 construction is completed

1992

10.02 Pohang Iron & Steel Company celebrates construction milestones reached over the past quarter-century

Departure for New Horizons

With the double engine of growth up and running in Pohang and Gwangyang, we were ready to declare yet another mission.
With its robust credit ratings, POSCO went public in an advanced global stock market. Business transparency was enhanced by introducing outside directors and incorporating external audits. Most notably, Japanese reparation funds were fully repaid and government shares were sold off, making POSCO a publicly-traded private enterprise.

1993

04.01 Pohang Iron & Steel Company commit to a mission to innovate itself

10.18 Pohang Iron & Steel Company becomes the first Korean company to issue a Samurai bond

10.30 Pohang Iron & Steel Company obtains ISO 9002 certification

1994

06.01 POSCO Research Institute (POSRI) is established

10.14 Pohang Iron & Steel Company lists its shares on the New York Stock Exchange

12.01 POSCO Development (now POSCO E&C) is established

12.07 Pohang Light Source construction is completed

1995

08.31 POSCO Center construction is completed

1996

01.30 Pohang Iron & Steel Company completes repayment of loan from Japanese claims funds

1997

02.15 Zhangjiagang Pohang Stainless Steel (ZPSS), China, is established

03.14 Outside director and external audit systems are introduced

06.19 POSTECH Venture Capital (now POSCO Venture Capital) is established

2000

08.02 Pohang Iron & Steel Company signs a strategic partnership with Nippon Steel Corporation

10.04 Pohang Iron & Steel Company completes privatization

2002

03.15 Pohang Iron & Steel Company is renamed POSCO

Ascendance on the Global Stage

As a private company, POSCO grew into a leading global steelmaker, expanding its reach across the world. The world's first FINEX plant was commercialized while Gwangyang’s blast furnace (BF) 1 was refurbished into the world's largest BF.
Outside Korea, POSCO built an integrated mill in Indonesia and broke new ground in other parts of the world, such as China, Vietnam and Mexico.
Moreover, by identifying promising opportunities beyond steel, we have kicked off group management—high-level management of operating entities in various businesses.

2003

01.23 POSCO Terminal is established

05.27 POSCO Volunteer Group is launched

11.07 POSCO-China is launched

2005

09.08 POSCO TJ Park Foundation is launched

09.09 POSCO Power (formerly POSCO Energy) is launched

2006

05.22 SNNC is established as a joint venture with SMSP of New Caledonia

2007

05.30 Construction is completed on the world's first FINEX commercial plant (1.5Mpta)

2008

02.01 POSCO forms PNR, a joint venture with Nippon Steel Corporation

11.03 SNNC completes construction of its ferronickel plant

2009

08.06 POSCO completes construction of its first overseas automotive steel plate plant (CGL, Mexico)

10.19 Construction of a cold-rolling plant in Vietnam is completed, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia

2010

01.22 POSCO ICT is launched.

08.31 POSCO Chemtech enters the anode materials business

11.01 POSCO group acquires Daewoo International

11.04 Construction is completed on the Global R&D Center in Songdo

12.15 Korea’s first off-gas combined cycle power plant starts commercial operation

2011

01.01 Pohang Blast Furnace No.1 is named ‘National Economic Treasure No.1’ by JoongAng Ilbo

06.13 Construction is complete on Zhangjiagang Pohang Stainless Steel (ZPSS)

2012

02.23 POSCO develops the world’s first direct lithium extraction technology

03.09 POSCO develops an EV body using steel (PBC-EV)
POSCO establishes POSCO ESM to enter the cathode materials business

11.05 POSCO forms a joint venture, PMC Tech, with Mitsubishi Group

2013

06.07 Gwangyang Blast Furnace No.1 becomes the world’s biggest BF after renovation (working volume of 6000㎥)

11.18 POSCO 1% Foundation is launched

12.23 Krakatau POSCO (Indonesia) construction is completed

2014

02.28 POSCO Technology University is opened

2015

01.22 POSCO Maharashtra cold rolling plant (India) construction is completed

02.02 POSCO Group University is established

06.18 POSCO recognizes the first POSCO Masters

2016

08.31 CGL line construction in Thailand is completed; Gigasteel production begins

09.29 Fourth-Generation Pohang Light Source construction is completed

2017

02.07 Gwangyang PosLX Plant construction is completed

03.01 POSCO P&S is merged into POSCO Daewoo

06.14 POSCO Altech is established

12.05 POSCO wins $10 Billion Export Tower Award

2018

01.16 AI-based ultra-precision coating technology becomes a "national core technology"

07.27 The management philosophy of Corporate Citizenship is announced

08.27 Lithium brine mining rights is acquired

11.05 With POSCO Management Reform Conference is hosted, where 100 tasks are announced

2019

03.15 Corporate Citizenship Committee kicks off

03.18 POSCO Daewoo is renamed POSCO International;
POSCO Chemtech is renamed POSCO Chemical

04.01 POSCO ESM is acquired by POSCO Chemical to consolidate the energy material business

06.25 LiB Materials R&D Laboratories opens

07.01 POSCO steelworks is named the first Korean Lighthouse Factory by the World Economic Forum

07.25 Charter of Corporate Citizenship is announced

10.03 Cumulative steel output reaches 1 billion tons

2020

04.02 POSCO SPS (now POSCO Mobility Solution) is established

07.03 P&O Chemical is established

07.28 Corporate Citizenship Management Standards (CCMS) is published

2021

04.23 POSCO Lithium Solution (now POSCO-Pilbara Lithium Solution) is established

05.07 POSCO-HY Clean Metal is established

07.21 CHANGeUP GROUND is unveiled in Pohang;
a special Corporate Citizenship Symposium is organized and
Five Corporate Citizenship brands are launched

10.06 POSCO hosts world’s first Hydrogen Iron & Steelmaking Forum

Reinvention for Future Growth

In 2022, POSCO group transitioned to a holding company governance structure to enhance its capabilities in core skills, strengthen growth businesses, and explore future opportunities.
Led by POSCO Holdings, POSCO group is accelerating balanced growth across its core businesses, in steel, rechargeable battery materials, infrastructure, and new business areas.

2022

01.04 POSCO New Experience of Technology Hub (N.EX.T. Hub) is established

01.28 Shareholders approve the transition to a holding company system with 89.2% votes at the Extraordinary General Meeting

03.02 POSCO Holdings is established

03.23 Construction of a brine lithium processing plant in Argentina begins

04.01 POSCO Flow is established

11.10 POSCO Future M completes construction of 90Ktpa capacity Gwangyang Cathode Material Plant

12.12 POSCO is named the world’s most competitive steelmaker for 13 consecutive years by World Steel Dynamics

2023

01.01 POSCO International and POSCO Energy merge

01.19 POSCO fully restores all operations at Pohang Works 135 days after Typhoon Hinnamnor causes a nearby stream to flood the steelworks

04.20 POSCO N.EX.T Hub opens its headquarters in Pohang

06.28 POSCO Holdings breaks ground on the second-phase upstream plant for brine lithium in Argentina

07.10 POSCO-HY Clean Metal completes construction of a battery recycling plant

12.18 POSCO is named the World’s Most Competitive Steelmaker for 14 consecutive years by World Steel Dynamics

2024

01.26 POSCO opens the Hydrogen Reduction Ironmaking Development Center

02.01 POSCO redesigns work uniforms after 30 years

11.29 POSCO-Pilbara Lithium Solution completes construction of the second lithium hydroxide plant, reaching total lithium production capacity of 43Ktpa

12.24 POSCO is named the World’s Most Competitive Steelmaker for 15 consecutive years by World Steel Dynamics

2025

05.23 POSCO group secures its first LNG-dedicated carrier

06.18 POSCO group becomes the first global steelmaker to be permanently inducted into the World Steel Dynamics Hall of Fame

06.26 The company passes the Korean government’s preliminary feasibility study for the demonstration project to develop proprietary hydrogen reduction ironmaking

11.19 POSCO International acquires a stake in Indonesia’s Sampoerna Agro, and completed construction of a palm oil refinery in Indonesia

12.19 POSCO International establishes its Singapore LNG trading subsidiary

2026

04.20 POSCO signs a joint venture agreement to build an integrated steel mill in India

04.30 POSCO Holdings signs an equity investment agreement with Australia’s Mineral Resources

06.17 POSCO completes construction of Korea’s largest electric arc furnace in Gwangyang (2.5 Mtpa)