Rep. Park Myung-jae of the Saenuri Party, speaks at an inaugural meeting of a parliamentary forum designed to explore and study policies on sustainable growth of the steel industry.

Rep. Park Myung-jae and other lawmakers from ruling and opposition parties — members of a steel parliamentary forum and associate members — gesture their determination at an inaugural meeting of the forum. (Photos: Rep. Park Myung-jae’s Office)

Rep. Park Myung-jae of the Saenuri Party, hailing from the Pohang-Ulleung electoral district, inaugurated a parliamentary forum designed to explore and study policies on sustainable growth of the steel industry. 

Rep. Park and Rep. Eoh Kiy-ku of the Minju Party of Korea (MPK), also hailing from the Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do, electoral district, jointly head the forum. Rep. Jeong In-hwa of the People’s Party serves as chief researcher. 

The Korean steel industry is struggling with hard times, caused by sagging steel demand and the flooding of low-priced, low-quality Chinese steel products. Organizers agreed on the establishment of the parliamentary forum, given the fact that the difficult situation of the steel industry has a direct impact on national tax revenues and employment, which leads to the worsening of the national economy and a crisis of the regional economy. 

Under the theme “Research for Sustainable Growth of the Korean Steel Industry,” the forum is expected to weigh in polices designed to boost the steel industry, countermeasures to address unfair steel imports, and focus on such topics as the establishment of a sound consumption culture through safe construction and to proposal alternative policy options. 

The forum will have regular sessions to hold consultative meetings with invited experts and industry leaders. Related seminars and observation tours to steelworks will also be planned. The forum aims at having a bigger say in ministries’ decision-making process by overall diagnosing the steel industry and recommending alternative options. In particular, the forum will target of playing a leading role in the government’s efforts to take steps to resurge the industry by studying, exploring and proposing them as legislative tasks.

“The steel industry, a core industrial field, should be alive to help all other industries have a competitive edge, thus boosting the national economy,” said Rep. Park. He added that the parliament will aggressively conduct research in order to lay the foundation for a resurgence of the Korean steel industry. 

Rep. Park said his forum plans to take in-depth steps to strengthen competitiveness of such steel industry cities as Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Suyeong, Busan, Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, and Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do and turn around regional economies. 

Twenty-five lawmakers, including associate members, are on the register for the steel forum. Also sitting on the forum are Chairman Kim Kwang-lim of the Saenuri Party Policy Committee; ex-Saenuri floor leader Won Yoo-chul; former secretary general Lee Kyun-hyun of the Saenuri Party; ex-chairman Kim Jae-kyung of the Special Committee of Budgets & Settlements of the National Assembly; Lee Hae-woon, former member of the Saenuri Party Supreme Council, Kim Hak-yong; chief secretary of the Saenuri Party Chairman’s Office; Kang Suk-ho, deputy secretary general of the Saenuri Party; Lee Woo-hyun, a leading member of the National Assembly, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee; Park Chan-won, former lawmaker and ex-vice minister of the Ministry of the Interior; and Paek Seung-joo, an ex-lawmaker and former vice minister of the Defense Ministry.

Also participating in the form are Rep. Lee Chan-yeul of the MPK, a member of the National Assembly Trade, Industry and Energy Committee; and Saenuri Party representatives Park Maeng-woo; Park Duk-heum, Lee Jong-bae; Chu Kyung-ho; Ahn Sang-soo; Kim Suk-ki; and Chung Tae-ok.