[Obituary] Jeong Myeong-sik, Former POSCO Chairman, Passes Away

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Former POSCO Chairman Jeong Myeong-sik passed away on the 19th at the age of 90.

The late Jeong Myeong-sik, former POSCO chairman, was born in 1931 in Seoul. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1955 and earned a master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1959. He joined POSCO in February 1970, serving as Head of the Construction Department, Head of the Construction Headquarters (Vice President), President, and Vice Chairman, before becoming the 3rd chairman of POSCO in 1993.

While serving as president of the Korea Comprehensive Technology Development Corporation, he received a call from the late Park Tae-joon, Honorary Chairman of POSCO, and meeting him became the turning point that dedicated his life to the construction of the Pohang Steelworks and Gwangyang Steelworks. Notably, during the 1970 Pohang Steelworks 'hot rolling emergency,' he recovered the schedule through a 'full mobilization system,' established the use of the English name 'POSCO,' and built an 'integrated management system' that could control operations from steelworks processing to shipment.

His major career achievements include serving as president of the Korea Comprehensive Technology Development Corporation in 1968, chairman of the Korea Iron and Steel Association in 1993, and chairman of the board at POSTECH in 1995. He was also awarded the Order of Industrial Service Merit, Bronze Tower in 1976, Silver Tower in 1981, the Sports Merit Medal Baekma in 1989, Gold Tower in 1990, as well as the Baeksang Sports Award and the Korea Science and Technology Award in 1992.

The funeral will be held as a POSCO company funeral. The funeral hall is Room 17 at Samsung Seoul Hospital Funeral Hall, and the funeral procession will be at 9 a.m. on the 22nd. The burial site is Namhangang Park Cemetery in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.