Dongkuk Steel Mill will strengthen its strategy of leading the market by expanding investment in high-end color steel plates.

Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. decided to expand its production line of high-end color steel plates in Busan to an annual production capacity of 70,000 tons on July 9. It is planning to invest about 25 billion won and strengthen its high value-added color steel plate business with the goal of starting the operation of the production line in the second half of 2021.

Dongkuk Steel Mill plans to further streamline its color steel plate production lines and expand its color steel plate production capacity from the current eight production lines (750,000 tons) to nine (850,000 tons) by the second half of 2021. It is the world's largest, compared with its competitors producing up to 100,000 to 400,000 tons at one to four lines.

For the first time in the world, the new color steel plate line will be composed of a wide line (1600mm) that combines laminate steel plate and UV coating processes. Dongkuk Steel Mill is planning to make customized high value-added color steel sheets such as fluorine lamina steel plates and new products via the combination of digital printing and UV coating technology at this line.

The decision is part of super-gap strategy that further strengthens the color steel plate business, its competitive advantage in production infrastructure, quality, sales power, R&D capabilities and services, as well as leads the market.

The proportion of color steel plate sales in Dongkuk Steel Mill's total sales (on an unconsolidated basis) expanded from 11.5 percent in 2012 to 17.6 percent 2019. This investment is expected to push up the proportion to 20 percent in the future.