POSCO employees and subcontractors shovel mud in front of the entrance to the company's main steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of POSCO

By Park Jae-hyuk

POSCO plans to resume the operation of three blast furnaces at its main steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, starting this Saturday, as repairs have gone smoothly after Typhoon Hinnamnor swept through the region, the steelmaker said Thursday.

The blast furnaces have been shut down since earlier this week in preparation for the super typhoon which drenched the southeastern port city with up to 500 millimeters of heavy rain. It was the first time in POSCO's 49-year history for it to suspend all operations at its Pohang steel mill.

Although no casualties have been reported at POSCO's worksite, there have been concerns about potential financial damage to the company, as well as possible setbacks in the supply of steel products to construction firms, shipbuilders and carmakers.

According to POSCO, the flooded facilities inside the steel mill have been restored quickly, as firefighters offered eight large water pumps. In addition, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group's three shipbuilding subsidiaries provided large numbers of water pumps and emergency electricity generators.

Executives and employees at POSCO headquarters, its Pohang steel mill and its subcontractors, as well as several workers from the company's steel mill in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, also joined in the recovery work, which was led by POSCO CEO Kim Hag-dong.

POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo visited Pohang on Tuesday to check on the safety of employees and damage to facilities. He also presided over an emergency meeting at the site.

"During the Chuseok holiday, we will adjust the operation of our Gwangyang steel mill, so that its workers can help their colleagues in Pohang," a POSCO official said. "We will finish cleaning up the steel mill during the long weekend."