Private Ceremony Held at Korea Zinc Headquarters in Jongno, Seoul
Key Political and Business Figures Pay Their Respects at the Funeral Hall
The funeral ceremony for the late Chang-Gul Choi, Honorary Chairman of Korea Zinc, who laid the foundation for South Korea's non-ferrous metal industry, will be solemnly held at the Korea Zinc headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of October 10, 2025. The ceremony will be private, attended only by family members and company executives and employees. Chairman Yoonbum Choi of Korea Zinc, Chairman Jungkeun Yoo of the Kyungwon Cultural Foundation, Vice Chairman Jejung Lee, and other executives and employees will accompany the late chairman on his final journey. The burial site will be Moran Park in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
Honorary Chairman Choi participated as a founding member of Korea Zinc in 1974 and developed the company into a world-class comprehensive non-ferrous metal smelting enterprise. He played a significant role in enabling resource-poor South Korea to become a 'materials independent' nation, capable of producing not only basic metals such as zinc and lead, but also strategic minerals like gold, silver, and indium.
He valued ethical management and organizational strength, guided by the philosophy of “serving the nation through business.” Under his principle of “Do not do anything that goes against the rules,” he emphasized cooperation among all employees and continuous growth. In an interview during his lifetime, he said, “If you improve a little every day, there is no need for reform,” and also remarked, “Everyday changes are more important than innovation.” He further stated, “These achievements were made not by a single great hero, but by all employees working together,” stressing that organizational strength takes precedence over star players.
The late chairman's memorial altar was visited by figures from both the political and business sectors. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Daecheol Chung of the Constitutional Association, former Floor Leader Sungtae Kim, National Assembly members Beomsoo Seo, Deukgu Kang, and Yongtae Kim, former Blue House Senior Secretary Intae Yoo, and former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hee-ryong Won paid their respects. From the business community, Junhong Heo, CEO of Samyang Tongsang; Chihoon Oh, Chairman of Daehan Steel; Yongmin Kim, Vice Chairman of Heesung Group; Kanghyun Seo, President of Hyundai Steel; and Insub Jung, President of Hanwha Ocean, also visited the altar.
President Jaemyung Lee, National Assembly Speaker Wonsik Woo, Prime Minister Minseok Kim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Yuncheol Koo, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Jungkwan Kim, as well as Seoul Mayor Sehoon Oh and Ulsan Mayor Dugyeom Kim, sent condolence wreaths. In addition, condolence wreaths from major business leaders, including Taewon Choi, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jin Ryu, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries; Jaeyong Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Kwangmo Koo, Chairman of LG Group; Jaeun Koo, Chairman of LS Group; Seungyun Kim, Chairman of Hanwha Group; Jaehyun Lee, Chairman of CJ Group; Taesoo Heo, Chairman of GS Group; Jungwon Park, Chairman of Doosan Group; Dongkwan Kim, Vice Chairman of Hanwha; and Hyunsang Cho, Vice Chairman of Hyosung, filled the memorial altar.
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