Kyungju, South Korea

For the next few days our group will be in Kyungju, which is on the south east side of the Korean penninsula near the city of Ulsan. The town of Kyungu is quiet and beautiful - full of traditional homes (like the picture above), Buddist temples and small businesses. But nearby is the heartland of Korean heavy industry. We spent the day (Friday, May 29) with visits to POSCO Steel, Kiswire (Korean Iron, Steel and Wire) and Hyundai. The steel complex was incredible with acres and acres of furnaces and rolling mills and a massive seaport for unloading raw materials (iron ore and coal) and loading finished steel, mostly in the form of huge coils or structural products like i-beams. The operation at Kiswire was also very interesting. They produce wire on a scale that is hard to describe. We spent most of the time watching the process of turning steel rod (from POSCO) into thin bronze-coated wire to be used in steel reinforced radial tires. Other Kiswire products include piano wire and wire rope used to make cables for supension bridges and oil rigs. Hyundai was also interesting. As with the steel plant the operation was massive. I've never been in an auto assembly plant before and it really was fascinating to watch cars take shape right before your eyes. The picture I've included is from the special showroom floor in the headquarters building. The car is a new Hyundai model called the Genesis, which is not yet available in the states. I have to say I have a different view of Hyundai now than I had before and if I could have gotten a red Genesis in my checked baggage I'd have a new addition to my garage!