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Posco Group Chairman Chang receives The Korea Society's 2025 Van Fleet Award

Published: 24 Oct. 2025, 17:41 Updated: 24 Oct. 2025, 17:45

Posco Group Chairman Chang In-hwa, center, poses with Thomas Byrne, left, president of The Korea Society, and Kathleen Stephens, chair of the Board of The Korea Society, after receiving the 2025 Van Fleet Award at The Korea Society’s annual dinner held at The Plaza Hotel in New York on Oct. 23. [POSCO]

Posco Group Chairman Chang In-hwa received the 2025 Van Fleet Award in recognition of his contributions to advancing economic cooperation between Korea and the United States, the company said Friday.

The company said Chang was honored with the award on Thursday at The Korea Society’s Annual Dinner held at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Established in 1992, the Van Fleet Award commemorates General James A. Van Fleet, who led the modernization of Korea’s military during the Korean War (1950-53) and is remembered as the “father of the Korean military.”

The award is presented annually to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to promoting understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two nations. Past recipients include former U.S. President George W. Bush, former Korean President Kim Dae-jung, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and boy band BTS.

Kathleen Stephens, chair of The Korea Society and former U.S. ambassador to Korea, said Chang was honored “for his contributions to rebuilding the U.S. industrial ecosystem and supporting the establishment of a sustainable supply chain, which have strengthened the bond between the two nations.”

Since taking office, Chang has strategically expanded Posco Group’s investments in the United States across its core businesses, including steel, secondary battery materials and energy.

In April 2025, Posco signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Group to form a joint venture for a steel plant in Louisiana. The company is also conducting a demonstration project in Utah using direct lithium extraction technology, marking the first such initiative by a Korean firm. Posco has also signed long-term contracts to purchase North American liquefied natural gas, further strengthening energy cooperation.

"The U.S. steel industry inspired the founding of Pohang Steelworks, our first U.S. export in 1972, which opened the gateway to global markets. Our 1994 listing on the New York Stock Exchange marked a major milestone in Posco’s growth," said Chang in his acceptance speech.

Posco will work with U.S. partners on innovative initiatives, such as AI-powered intelligent factories, to "open a new renaissance of American manufacturing," he added.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]