Korea Zinc expands employee training to support AI and US expansion

Korea Zinc is significantly increasing its investment in employee training and development to prepare for global expansion and technological shifts, including artificial intelligence (AI) integration. Under the leadership of Chairman Choi Yun-beom, the company has expanded its total training hours from approximately 61,538 hours in 2021 to 122,315 hours last year, a nearly twofold increase.

Per-capita training expenses have also risen approximately fivefold, from 281,000 KRW in 2021 to 1,436,000 KRW. The company is focusing on several key areas: leadership development through partnerships with institutions like Korea University, technical expertise via the 'KZ Equipment Academy,' and AI capabilities through the 'AI Novatus Academia' in collaboration with UNIST.

To support its 'Project Crucible'—the construction of an integrated smelter in Clarksville, Tennessee—Korea Zinc is also enhancing foreign language training to improve global communication. Additionally, the company has prioritized safety, investing 84.8 billion KRW in safety and health sectors and increasing safety training hours by over 65% since 2021.