POSCO Founder Park
Celebrates 80th Birthday

Some 300 guests from all walks of life laud Park's single-minded dedication to building POSCO

Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon of POSCO celebrated his 80th birthday and the publication of his biography at the Shilla Hotel in downtown Seoul on Nov. 8 with some 300 friends from various circles of his long life.
The former Prime Minister is best known as the founder of the steel giant POSCO about four decades ago, which has been the backbone of Korea's economic take-off.
Former Speaker of the National Assembly Park Jun-kyu delivered a congratulatory address.
The author of the biography Cho Jung-rae said during the ceremony that he was deeply moved by the POSCO founder's single-minded determination to undertake the mammoth project of building the steel giant in the early 1960s.
Cho said he wrote the book to tell future generations how Park raised the steelmaker to the top level of the world steel industry, while assisting in the miraculous growth of the Korean economy by supplying various steel products.
The honorary chairman said in his speech that "A short life dedicated to the eternal mother land"has been his life-long motto. He said he will ask himself if he deserves to be called a great man and if he has truly devoted his life to the country out of strong beliefs held deep in his bosom. He said he will accept all kinds of laudatory remarks as a reminder for him to finish what's left of his life in a just manner.
Present at the event included presidential candidates Chung dong-young of the United New Democratic Party, Lee Myung-bak of the major opposition Grand National Party and former Prime Minister Lee Han-dong from the political sector. Business leaders included Chairman Cho Suk-rae of the Federation of Korean Industries, Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and POSCO Chairman Lee Ku-taek, among others. nw

POSCO founder Park Tae-joon and NewsWorld President-Publisher Elizabeth M. Oh are all smiles in an event.