POSCO resumes production at typhoon-hit steel mill

South Korean steelmaker POSCO said on Sunday it had resumed operations at a key steel plant after a three-month hiatus due to the typhoon.

On Thursday, POSCO restarted its No. 2 hot-rolled steel plant in Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, bringing the number of normalized plants to 13 out of 18 plants after the disaster, the company said in a statement.

Plant No. 2 for the production of hot-rolled steel processes 5 million tons, or 33 percent, of the 14.8 million tons of steel products produced at the POSCO smelter.

Hot-rolled steel is used in the production of high-quality cold-rolled, stainless and electrical products.

POSCO plans to return to normal operation the remaining five plants, including cold-rolled stainless steel plants No. 1 and No. 2 and electric steel plant No. 1, by the end of January, the report said.

To minimize the impact of the typhoon on its business, POSCO increased production at its steel plant in Gwangyang, 423 kilometers southwest of Seoul, and imported steel products from overseas.