Call for Securing Competitive Edge in Advanced Materials Sectors

Four people receive awards for their contribution to the development of the nonferrous metal industries on Nonferrous Metal Day

Approximately 200 people representing government, research circles and nonferrous metal industries got together at the COEX Inter-Continental Hotel on June 3 to celebrate the third anniversary of Nonferrous Metal Day. Among those on hand at the ceremony were Vice Minister of the Knowledge Economy Ministry (MKE) Ahn Hyun-ho; Choi Keun-cheol, chairman of the Korea Nonferrous Metal Association (KONMA); Sohn In-guk, chairman of the Korea Copper Industry Cooperatives; and executives and employees of LS-Nikko Copper, Korea Zinc Company and Poongsan Corp.
The participants from the nonferrous metal industries exchanged words of encouragement for smartly overcoming the difficulties caused by the global financial crisis and pledged to evolve the nonferrous metal industries into environmentally-friendly and advanced materials industries.
Park Moon-kyu, executive vice president of Choil Aluminum; Kim In-sup, executive director of Lee Ku Industrial Co.; Lee Wol-sung, general manager of Korea Zinc Company; and Park Joong-soon, general manager of Daechang Co. were honored with awards in recognition for their contribution to the development of the nonferrous metal industries.
Nonferrous metals, including copper, zinc, aluminum, nickel and other materials except iron are used as materials in the nation’s mainstay industries, including electric, electronics and automobiles. Nonferrous Metal Day was inaugurated in celebration of Janghang Copper Refinery’s first successful refining of copper on June 3, 1936, said Lee Seung-woo, director of the MKE’s Metals & Chemicals Division.
The size of the nonferrous metal industries is estimated at about 30 trillion won, and 671 companies hire a combined 28,000 employees.
The nonferrous metal industries are striving to expand investments into urban mine businesses and wastes-to-metal resources businesses in order to create new demand while aggressively devoting their strength to investing in overseas mining projects. They are also all out to develop advanced and high-tech new materials to meet the needs of the nonferrous metal-consuming industries and boost investments in making them added-value products. In particular, LS-Nikko Copper established its subsidiary, GRM, and is now working on a project to build a facility designed to recycle waste home appliance products into copper and valued metals in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do, since this past April. The company sets its sights on achieving a material self-sufficiency rate of 50 percent in a decade. It has already secured a 20 percent stake in a copper mine in Panama.
Korea Zinc Company plans to invest AU$11 million in mine exploration in Queensland, Australia, over the next five years.
Poongsan is devoting itself to developing flexible copper clad laminated (FCCL) copper alloy materials used for flexible printed circuit boards for mobile IT gadgets.
In his speech, Vice Minister Ahn praised the non-ferrous metal industries’ efforts to secure a global competitive edge despite the stark reality of importing all of the nation’s raw materials and equipment needs. He urged them to lead in massive investments and R&D activities to help Korea get a jump-start in IT materials and other high-tech material sectors.
In a related development, the government plans to provide support for shoring up the competitiveness of the materials industries by investing a combined 1 trillion won in developing the top 10 core materials, including magnesium, in a bid to have an upper hand in the global markets. nw

(from top) Ahn Hyun-ho, vice minister of the Knowledge Economy, speaks at the 3rd Nonferrous Metal Day anniversary event. The prize winners who were honored in recognition of their contribution to ensuring gas safety.