[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 operation 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 President Kiwon Park and Vice President Seungho Lee as key executives to oversee the U.S. smelter project. With this personnel move, both executives will take on roles equivalent to company presidents and are expected to 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 act as the Engineering & Construction Project Manager (PM), overseeing the construction of the U.S. smelter. He is regarded as one of Korea Zinc’s foremost experts in smelting technology. In particular, as the head of the core Technology Division within the “Troika Drive”-a new business initiative led by Chairman Choi Yoonbum focusing on renewable energy, green hydrogen, resource circulation, and secondary battery materials-he has spearheaded the development of new business processes. He also maximized production efficiency while managing the Onsan Smelter in Ulsan. In 2023, his technical expertise was recognized when he joined the board of directors and participated in company management.

Vice President Park is considered the ideal leader to transfer Korea Zinc’s more than 50 years of accumulated smelting expertise to the United States and to oversee the establishment of the local plant. He is expected to take responsibility for process design and technical excellence, especially in the U.S., where environmental regulations are stringent, and to lead the creation of an eco-friendly smelter.

Vice President Lee, as Value Creation (VC) Project Manager, will be responsible for finance and strategic value creation in this project. After working 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, he will manage the massive 11 trillion won in funding across each project phase and oversee the acquisition of U.S. government subsidies and policy funding. 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 personnel appointment signals that Korea Zinc’s U.S. smelter project is now in full swing. The company plans to complete site preparation and basic civil engineering work within the first half of this year, select an 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 and copper processing lines will be completed sequentially in the third and fourth quarters of the same year, respectively. The company aims to achieve 100% operation of all processes by the first quarter of 2030.

The Tennessee smelter is expected to become an “integrated smelting base” producing not only zinc but also 11 key strategic minerals designated by the U.S. government, such as antimony and germanium. Through this 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 will also be able to secure a stable supply of minerals, reducing its reliance on the rare mineral supply chain dominated by China.