[Exclusive] Korea Zinc Appoints "Commanders" for $11 Trillion U.S. Smelter... Vice Presidents Kiwon Park and Seungho Lee Deployed to Lead Project

Kiwon Park Appointed E&C PM, Seungho Lee Named VC PM
U.S. Smelter Project Enters Full-Scale Implementation

Korea Zinc is accelerating the progress of its integrated smelter construction project in Clarksville, Tennessee, by deploying its top talent to the forefront of the initiative. After finalizing its vision for a massive overseas investment of 11 trillion won, the company is shifting into the construction and operational phases, appointing technical experts and financial strategists to lead the project.

From the left, Kiwon Park, Vice President and Head of TD Technology Division at Korea Zinc, and Seungho Lee, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Korea Zinc. Profile photo. Korea Zinc website

According to industry sources on January 16, Korea Zinc recently appointed Vice Presidents Kiwon Park and Seungho Lee as key executives to oversee the U.S. smelter project. With these new assignments, both executives will take on roles equivalent to president and will directly lead the project on-site in the United States.

Vice President Park, who has previously served as head of the Onsan Smelter and Head of the Technology Division, will take on the role of E&C Project Manager (PM), overseeing the construction of the U.S. smelter. Park is widely recognized within Korea Zinc as a master of smelting technology. He led the core Technology Division, a key part of Chairman Choi Yoonbum's "Troika Drive" (renewable energy and green hydrogen, resource circulation, and secondary battery materials), spearheading the development of new business processes. He also maximized production efficiency while managing the Onsan Smelter in Ulsan. In 2023, his technical expertise was acknowledged when he joined the management as an inside director.

Park is considered the ideal candidate to transfer the smelting know-how Korea Zinc has accumulated over more than 50 years to the United States and to lead the establishment of the local plant. He is expected to take responsibility for process design and technical excellence, especially under the stringent environmental regulations in the U.S., and to lead the creation of an eco-friendly smelter.

Vice President Lee, as Value Creation (VC) PM, will be responsible for finance and strategic value creation in this project. After gaining experience at global investment banks and consulting firms, he was appointed as Korea Zinc’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2024. As the VC PM for the U.S. smelter, Lee will manage the massive 11 trillion won in funding across each stage of the process and oversee the attraction of U.S. government subsidies and policy funds. Beyond simple financial management, he is expected to play a strategic role by leading negotiations with major partners in the U.S. and managing the project’s profitability.

This executive reshuffle signals that Korea Zinc’s U.S. smelter project has entered full-scale implementation. Korea Zinc plans to complete site preparation and basic civil engineering work within the first half of this year, finalize the selection of the EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Management) contractor, and place orders for major equipment. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year, with zinc processing operations starting in the first quarter of 2029. The lead process will be completed in the third quarter of the same year, followed by the copper process in the fourth quarter. The company aims to achieve 100% operation of all processes by the first quarter of 2030.

The Tennessee smelter will serve as an "integrated smelting base," producing not only zinc but also 11 key strategic minerals designated by the U.S. government, including antimony and germanium. Through this smelter construction, Korea Zinc has established a foundation to enhance both its mid- to long-term growth and profitability amid changes in the global critical minerals market. The U.S. government, in turn, will be able to secure a stable supply of minerals, reducing its dependence on the rare mineral supply chain dominated by China.