Pohang, Steel Industry Hub, Begins Major Transformation for the Future... International Steel & Nonferrous Metals Industry Exhibition Opens

International Steel & Nonferrous Metals Industry Exhibition Held at Daegu EXCO, November 19?21
Support for Companies and Institutions Participating in SMK Exhibition... Strengthening Steel Industry Crisis Response Measures

Pohang, a city shaped by the sea and nurtured by steel, is now riding a new wave as a hub for the "future metals industry."

The 8th International Steel and Nonferrous Metals Industry Exhibition (Steel & Metal Korea 2025, SMK 2025) opened on November 19 at Daegu EXCO, jointly hosted by Gyeongbuk Province, Pohang City, the Korea Iron & Steel Association, and the Korea Nonferrous Metals Association.

International Steel and Nonferrous Metals Industry Exhibition Opens. Photo by Pohang City

This year’s exhibition, held under the theme "Change for the Future," presents transformation strategies for the steel industry in response to the rapidly changing global trade environment and the era of AI-driven manufacturing innovation. The event will run for three days until November 21.

More than 100 people attended the opening ceremony, including Jang Sangkil, Deputy Mayor of Pohang, Oh Chungjong, Multilateral Trade Legal Officer at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as well as leaders from government, organizations, related institutions, academia, and industry. They explored ways for the domestic steel industry to respond amid shifting industrial paradigms.

This year’s exhibition features 320 booths from 95 companies, both domestic and international. Leading Korean companies such as POSCO, Hyundai Steel, and Poongsan are participating, showcasing advanced metal materials, secondary battery and battery materials, hydrogen, energy, and carbon-neutral technologies-core technologies for future industries.

Special exhibitions and technical seminars focusing on AI-based smart manufacturing and eco-friendly energy technologies are also being held, drawing significant attention from the industry.

Notably, for the first time this year, Pohang City provided booth rental support to local companies, institutions, and universities participating in the exhibition. As part of efforts to strengthen the public-private-academic-research collaboration network, Pohang-based companies, institutions, and universities can receive support for up to two booths free of charge.

This year, a total of 22 companies and institutions-including Nexteel, Jeil Technos, Ibiden Graphite Korea, Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), and POSTECH-participated with support from Pohang City, providing practical opportunities for local steel companies facing difficulties due to the global economic slowdown and trade risks to develop new markets.

In addition, a joint export consultation event with KOTRA brought together 49 overseas buyers from 14 countries across the Americas, Europe, India, and Asia, offering prospects for expanding the global reach of domestic steel and nonferrous metals companies.

Deputy Mayor Jang Sangkil stated, "As the global trade order is being restructured, the steel industry requires more sophisticated strategies and innovation. Pohang City will do its utmost to pave the way for the steel industry’s resurgence, together with companies, taking the designation as an Industrial Crisis Response Area as an opportunity for change."

To overcome the crisis in the steel industry, Pohang City is operating a range of support programs, including secondary compensation support, emergency management stabilization funds, preferential local investment promotion subsidies, and customized business support. The city is also accelerating efforts to restore and strengthen the competitiveness of the local steel industry through status analysis and research on crisis response measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.