Korea Zinc holds memorial marking first anniversary of honorary chairman Choi Chang-gul's death

Korea Zinc held a first-anniversary memorial ceremony for honorary chairman Choi Chang-gul at its headquarters in Jongno, Seoul on Oct. 6, about 130 people attending, including Chairman Choi Yun-bum, Vice Chairman Lee Je-joong and company president Park Ki-duk, along with family members, employees of Korea Zinc and its affiliates, and acquaintances of the late chairman. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Park, who delivered the memorial address on behalf of employees, said Korea Zinc “moved forward without wavering over the past year despite various changes and challenges inside and outside” the company, and that he had again realised Choi's management philosophy and entrepreneurial spirit are “the sturdy roots supporting Korea Zinc today.” Park described Choi's life as a history of pioneering and creation that led South Korea's nonferrous metals industry, which he said was then “little more than wasteland,” onto a path of major advance, crediting him with building Korea Zinc from a small Far East refinery into a global nonferrous metals refiner through bold investment and technological innovation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Attendees unveiled a bust of Choi at the headquarters, and Chairman Choi Yun-bum gave thanks on behalf of the family. Family members and senior executives then travelled to Moran Park in Maseok, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, to visit the grave and unveil a memorial stone. Korea Zinc kept a memorial space open at its headquarters for the day so employees could pay their respects on their own. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Choi, described by Maeil Business as a “giant of the nonferrous metals industry,” died on Oct. 6 a year earlier at the age of 84. He was the second son of Korea Zinc founder Choi Ki-ho and played a key role in the company's 1974 founding, later overseeing its management and laying the basis for a world-leading nonferrous metals company. According to the reports, he led funding and smelter construction at a time when South Korea lacked refining technology and experience in the 1970s, established a technology research institute and expanded production facilities and affiliates. After becoming chairman in 1992, he expanded zinc and lead refining facilities and set up the SMC zinc refinery in Australia; Seoul Economic Daily also credits him with commercialising technology to reprocess zinc residues into clean slag. The accounts say his management philosophy centred on “people” and “trust,” and that he backed child welfare and scholarship programmes, receiving the Dongbaek Medal of the Order of Civil Merit at the 2013 Korea Sharing Awards. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Employees said they would carry on Choi's management philosophy and spirit of challenge, strengthening refining competitiveness while expanding eco-friendly businesses including critical mineral supply chains, renewable energy, secondary battery materials and resource recycling. Seoul Economic Daily reported that staff resolved to raise the value of “business patriotism” that Choi stressed, citing world-class refining technology as global supply chains are reorganised and competition to secure critical minerals intensifies. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]