Posco has named a refractory specialist with 38 years on the steelworks floor as this year's Posco Master Craftsman — the first time the honor has gone to someone in the refractory field. The refractory field covers the heat-resistant materials that protect high-temperature equipment such as blast furnaces and converters used to produce and handle molten steel. In practical terms, it is the core discipline that keeps equipment capable of withstanding molten steel at thousands of degrees running reliably.
Posco held a master craftsman appointment ceremony Wednesday at its management operations meeting, selecting Lee Sang-hwi, part leader of the refractory group at Gwangyang Works, as the 2026 Posco Master Craftsman.
The Posco Master Craftsman title is the highest honor awarded to shop-floor technical employees. Posco introduced the program in 2015 to identify workers with world-class technical skills and character, and to pass on the steelmaking expertise they have accumulated to the next generation.
The selection process looks beyond raw proficiency. Candidates are assessed on technical expertise, contribution to the company, field leadership and personal character. Recipients receive a special one-grade promotion, a congratulatory bonus and extra leave, with the possibility of promotion to executive rank depending on their contributions. After retirement, they may continue as technical consultants, sharing their know-how with younger colleagues.
Lee, this year's honoree, joined Gwangyang Works' refractory division in 1988 and has spent 38 years as a hands-on specialist in refractory equipment repair and maintenance.
He was recognized for developing an "optimal furnace body refractory design and lifespan improvement technology" that more than doubled the service life of refractory materials. The selection committee also credited him with improving maintenance efficiency and reducing opportunity-loss costs from equipment downtime.
The refractory field tends to operate out of the spotlight within a steelworks, yet it underpins operational stability as a critical process. Lee's recognition as the first master craftsman from the discipline is said to have boosted pride among shop-floor workers in the field.
At Wednesday's ceremony, Lee said he was grateful that "the efforts accumulated over many years on the floor have led to the great honor of becoming a Posco Master Craftsman." He added that he would do his best to pass on skills and develop experts "so that younger colleagues can take pride in their work," noting that the refractory field plays a vital role in protecting the steelworks' core equipment and supporting stable operations.
Posco President and CEO Lee Hee-geun presented the appointment plaque and said the Posco Master Craftsman title "symbolizes the recognition of skills and experience accumulated on the floor as the company's competitive strength." He expressed hope that the new master craftsman would "serve as a reliable anchor, leading innovation on the floor and passing on both technical skills and a sense of mission to younger colleagues."
Posco has produced 30 master craftsmen to date. They provide technical support on the floor, train junior employees and new hires, deliver special lectures at the company's in-house university, and give equipment management talks to partner companies and customers. They are also credited with contributing to the broader technological competitiveness of the steel industry beyond the steelworks themselves.
Discussions about extending the retirement age and concerns over gaps in skilled labor have been growing across South Korean industry. In sectors such as steelmaking, where long years of hands-on experience are essential, preserving and transferring veteran technicians' know-how has emerged as a pressing challenge.
Posco is linking the master craftsman program to a broader system for passing on field expertise. The company is particularly working to convert the tacit knowledge that skilled technicians have built up over years through apprenticeship-style learning into digital assets. The plan is to turn know-how that has existed only in spoken form or lived experience into data, then integrate it with AI transformation — known internally as AX — to raise the company's overall technical capabilities.
Employees named Posco Master Craftsman are permanently inducted into the Posco Hall of Fame, where their names and achievements are recorded alongside the company's founding members and former CEOs.
A Posco official said the company plans to expand support programs for field technical talent, including the master craftsman program, adding that it will "strengthen a culture of respect and recognition for skilled craftspeople and continue to develop talent who can drive floor-centered innovation."
kwater@heraldcorp.com
