POSCO founder Park inducted into steel hall of fame

By Lee Hyo-sik

Late POSCO founder Park Tae-joon has been named as one of the world’s eight steel hall of famers for his leadership in creating the world’s third largest steelmaker.

POSCO said Wednesday that American Metal Market (AMM), a publication specializing in metal industry news and other information, selected Park as one of the greatest figures that have contributed to the development of the global steel industry.

AMM, which was founded in 1882, made an announcement Tuesday during the Steel Success Strategies Conference held in the New York Sheraton Hotel.

It formed a recommendation committee last August to select candidates for the steel hall of fame.

Among those named in the Steel Hall of Fame include Andrew Carnegie, founder of Carnegie Steel, and Yoshihiro Inayama, founder of Nippon Steel.

The Steel Museum in Youngstown, Ohio, will set up a special exhibition hall in August to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Park and seven other individuals.

Nicknamed the ``steel king,’’ Park was one of Korea’s first-generation leaders in industrialization that started from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War. He died of lung disease last December. He was 84 years old.