[Mid-sized Business Master Series] ③ Lee Chang-yeon, Ssangyong C&E Yeongwol Mine Team Leader... Top Expert in Mine Safety and Restoration

"I am comfortable, but juniors suffer"... 29 years working only in mines
Lowering bench height in mines, introducing electronic detonators... Yeongwol Mine achieves 5,580 days without accidents or injuries
1.2 million㎡ Donghae closed mine restored into 'Mureung Byeolyucheonji' with two lakes

"If I am comfortable, my juniors suffer."

It is said that after working three years in a mine, one has worked everywhere, but Lee Chang-yeon, the team leader of the Yeongwol Mine Team at Ssangyong C&E Yeongwol Plant, who has worked here for nearly 30 years?ten times that period?is a 'master' of limestone mining and mine safety.

Team Leader Lee Chang-yeon is directing the site at Yeongwol Gwangsan, Gangwon.
[Photo by Kim Jong-hwa]

Lee emphasized, "Mining work should not be done only by focusing on the tasks right in front of you. It must be carried out with a long-term plan. The more comfortably I work, the harder it becomes for my successors and juniors who take over after I leave. Therefore, I must seek out more inconvenient tasks now."

This means that if one works only in places easy to mine and close to the mineral collection site for better performance, successors and juniors will have to work harder. So, he deliberately starts mining from places that are farther and more inconvenient. This is an unwritten rule that all mining industry workers sympathize with, but not everyone follows it because it directly affects individual performance.

First Assigned to Yeongwol Mine at Age Twenty-Six... Approaching 30 Years Next Year

Team Leader Lee Chang-yeon being interviewed by Asia Economy at Yeongwol Mine, Gangwon.
[Photo by Kim Jong-hwa]

Lee joined Ssangyong Resources Development, the predecessor of Ssangyong C&E, in 1996 at the age of 26 and was assigned to Yeongwol Mine. Three people joined together, and 30 joined Ssangyong Cement, but now he is the only one left. He has worked for 29 years in mines including Donghae Mine and Singi (Samcheok) Mine.

He said, "My first assignment was here at Yeongwol Mine, where I am now the person in charge, and I am about to mark 30 years of mining work at my first assignment. It feels very special." His hometown is Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. He had an interest in environmental protection and underground resources, and before university entrance exams, he decided his career path after seeing department introduction materials sent by various universities to his high school.

Captivated by photos of huge mining machines digging the earth and extracting minerals, he entered the Department of Resources Engineering at Kangwon National University. There were 70 classmates in his department, and he thought most of them would choose similar career paths. However, after joining a mining company, he was surprised to find that he was the only one among his classmates actually working in mining using his major.

He said, "At that time, mining seemed to be an industry to avoid. Still, I found the work very interesting." The movement of huge heavy equipment and frequent blasting operations were fascinating to a young man in his mid-20s who had just completed military service. Living in company housing surrounded by mountains was no problem for someone born in a mountainous area.

Shocked by a Sudden Accident: "Determined Never to Neglect Safety"

A photo taken in 2006 when he was a newly appointed manager at Singi Mine in Samcheok City, Gangwon Province, with colleagues. The second from the left is Team Leader Lee Chang-yeon.
[Photo by Lee Chang-yeon]

Then, witnessing a shocking accident brought a major change in his attitude toward work. In 1997, a fatal accident occurred at Yeongwol Mine. A 32-ton dump truck unloading limestone overturned under the weight of rocks, crushing the driver to death. It was an accident that happened in the blink of an eye. Despite hardships, including being grabbed by the collar by the bereaved family, his seniors steadfastly guarded the mourning house and took care not to let the youngest, him, get hurt.

Lee recalled, "I learned a lot from that accident. It was the first time I truly realized that life can be extinguished in an instant. I deeply understood how important safety is and made a firm resolution never to be careless about it."

In his early 40s during the Lee Myung-bak administration, a boom in overseas resource development led many mining experts to move abroad or to large domestic companies. Anyone with some technical skills in the industry moved to better places. Most of them returned to Korea within a few years or transformed into entrepreneurs unrelated to mining, marking a turbulent era.

Lee received many offers from headhunters but declined them all. He said, "The salary was higher than other companies, but more importantly, the close senior-junior relationships were decisive." After experiencing a fatal accident just one year after starting as a mining technician and seeing the behavior and care of his seniors afterward, he was convinced there was no better workplace than here. Although his wife once chided him, saying, "Is it good to be holed up in the mine like that? Let's try living in a big city," his choice was firm then and he has no regrets now.

However, working in a mine is not easy. The work is dangerous, and enduring it is difficult. While he suited the job, his family was different. As his children grew, educational issues became more prominent. Eventually, his wife and children live in Donghae City, which has a relatively better educational environment, while he lives in company housing here and meets his family on weekends.

Last 10 Years’ Incident Rate 4.8... Mining Work Still the Most Dangerous

Ssangyong C&E Donghae Mine, the largest open-pit mine in Korea.
[Photo by Ssangyong C&E]

Limestone mines mostly operate as open-pit mines exposed on the surface rather than underground mining. Although considered safer than underground mines, open-pit mining is a daily battle with nature. The shape and grade of limestone ore bodies, formed over a long time, must be accurately predicted to determine the mining sequence, and weather conditions such as rain, snow, and wind have a significant impact. Lee explained, "You must not try to conquer nature but positively accept its changes and have the agility to seek timely countermeasures."

Yeongwol Mine, an open-pit mine, produces 14,000 tons per day and 3.5 million tons annually of limestone. As of 2023, it is the eighth largest mine in Korea. About 20 ultra-large heavy equipment units such as 65-ton dump trucks and loaders, and six crushers operate simultaneously, with more than 2 tons of explosives used daily for three or more blasts. Forty-five employees work at Yeongwol Mine, and a single mistake can lead to a major accident, so tension is constant throughout the day.

Mining sites are also where accidents occur most frequently. Although mining accidents have been decreasing with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the incident rate (number of accidents per 1,000 workers per year) over the past 10 years remains the highest at 4.8 in mining sites.

To reduce accidents, Lee has made efforts in various ways. Producing safety-related materials for new employees and staff is basic, and he is promoting lowering the bench height in open-pit mines and introducing electronic detonators. As mining progresses closer to villages, vibrations and noise worsen. To reduce these and ensure worker safety, the bench height at Yeongwol Mine has been lowered from the usual 13?15 meters to a maximum of 12 meters.

He is also promoting the introduction of electronic (IC chip-equipped) detonators to reduce blasting vibrations. Traditional electric detonators caused multiple vibrations due to timing errors during blasting. Electronic detonators produce only one vibration at the scheduled time without timing errors. At Lee’s strong request, test blasting is currently underway at Yeongwol Mine. Depending on the results, they are expected to be introduced nationwide.

Checking Employees’ Expressions Is Also an Important Task... Restoration of Mureung Byeolyucheonji

Mureung Byeolyucheonji, a former closed mine in Donghae, Gangwon, transformed into a popular recreational area for citizens.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

He is also skilled in mine restoration. From 2018 to 2021, he restored the 1.2 million square meter Ssangyong C&E Donghae closed mine site, where mining was completed, into 'Mureung Byeolyucheonji,' Donghae City's top tourist destination featuring two lakes. Mureung Byeolyucheonji is a good example of efficient restoration that contributes to regional economic development rather than simple reforestation after limestone mining, and it is benchmarked by local governments nationwide.

He often emphasizes to his employees the phrase 'Muhangbulseong (無汗不成),' meaning 'Nothing can be achieved without sweat.' His philosophy is, "This simple truth that nothing happens without effort is most evident in mining." Currently, those in charge must sweat and immediately handle or check tasks such as workplace development, timely processing of low-grade limestone, equipment re-inspection, and compliance with safety rules; otherwise, productivity declines and accident risks increase.

Therefore, carefully observing employees’ expressions is also part of his daily routine. He knows personal details such as employees’ family relationships. If an employee looks gloomy in the morning, he always holds a meeting to decide whether to assign them to the site, as worries can cause mistakes at critical moments. Employees who are not feeling well in the morning are also not sent to the site.

These accumulated efforts have resulted in 5,580 days (as of September 28) of accident-free and injury-free operation. Yeongwol Mine has operated without any accidents for an impressive 15 years and 3 months. Lee credited, "This was not something I could achieve alone. It was largely thanks to the efforts of all employees and the company-wide support for safety management."

◆Words from a Master

He always remembers the advice from a senior just days before retirement: "If I am comfortable, my juniors suffer." Mining work should not be done only by focusing on the tasks right in front of you. It must be carried out with a long-term plan. Mining only near the mineral collection site or in easy-to-work places first may be comfortable and immediately boost performance, but successors and juniors will have to mine farther and in more inconvenient places. If you mine a bit farther and tougher places now, those who work later will be comfortable, and the mine will last longer with more to mine. Everyone in the mining industry knows this, but not everyone practices it. The more I sweat and run around solving problems and producing results on site, the more I become the true subject of my work and an expert in my field.