POSCO Field Employee Becomes First Recipient of the 'Geumtap Industrial Medal'

Lee Seon-dong, POSCO Master Craftsman with 34 Years of Service

Master Lee Seon-dong, who works at POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks, became the first POSCO field employee to receive the 'Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit.'

POSCO announced that Master Lee from the Steelmaking Equipment Department was awarded the highest honor, the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, at the '2024 Labor Day' government commendation ceremony held on the 30th.

Master Lee Seon-dong of POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Provided by POSCO)

Master Lee was recognized for his contributions to innovation in the continuous casting process and equipment management at the steelworks, as well as for fostering win-win cooperation with partner companies. Since joining in 1989, he has been a field expert leading maintenance and performance improvements of continuous casting equipment for about 34 years. He proposed a total of 2,194 process improvement plans in the continuous casting field, contributing to productivity and quality enhancement, and received 37 patents. He generated financial effects exceeding 14.7 billion KRW.

In particular, the continuous casting equipment management system and the automatic continuous caster roller alignment system he developed are evaluated to have advanced equipment management and significantly improved work efficiency.

Master Lee is also known for taking the lead in fostering win-win cooperation with partner companies. Since 2013, he has listened to the difficulties of partner company employees through grievance consultation meetings and worked to improve the work environment by establishing dedicated rest areas based on their feedback. He also conducted job skill training for partner companies and established a dedicated technical training center, contributing to enhancing the technical competitiveness of partner companies.

Master Lee said, "I am honored to receive such a great award, although I was just doing what I was supposed to do in my field," adding, "I believe this award was possible because I met a good company and good colleagues and collaborated to achieve results."

Meanwhile, POSCO appointed Master Lee as a 'POSCO Master,' the highest honor for POSCO technicians, last year. The POSCO Master system honors and rewards employees who possess world-class technical skills and character. Since its introduction in 2015, POSCO has selected a total of 25 masters to date.