Husteel CEO Park Hoon received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit at the 27th Steel Day ceremony held Monday at Lotte Hotel Seoul.
The decoration recognized his contributions to South Korea's steel industry through expanded production capacity, quality improvements and export growth.
Park has worked at Husteel for 24 years, driving the expansion of production facilities and the development of overseas markets. He oversaw the relocation of the Incheon factory to Dangjin and the buildup of the company's steel pipe production system, while also playing a key role in growing exports, particularly to North America.
He also introduced the FFX-Mill (Flexible Tubing Forming) system at the Dangjin factory — a first in South Korea — to improve production efficiency and product quality. In 2015, the company expanded its business scope by acquiring the Daegu factory, a stainless steel pipe facility.
Husteel has received export tower awards for $100 million in 2007, $200 million in 2012 and $300 million in 2023.
The company has also been expanding its production base in eco-friendly and high-value-added steel pipe segments. It completed a large-diameter steel pipe factory using submerged arc welding at the Gunsan National Industrial Complex in North Jeolla Province in 2025, and completed a production facility in the United States in May.
The Gunsan factory is set to serve as a production hub for large-diameter steel pipes targeting the offshore wind and CCUS (carbon capture, utilization and storage) markets, while the US factory will function as a supply base for the North American market.
Meanwhile, Kim Il-seok, plant manager of Husteel's Daebul factory, received a commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy for his contributions to high-quality steel pipe production and process operations.
kim3956@heraldcorp.com
