South Korea’s second-largest steelmaker Hyundai Steel said Sunday that its submerged arc welding A671/A672 had been recognized as a World Class Korean Product.

With the new addition, Hyundai Steel now boasts a total of 12 World Class Korean Products. The number is the largest among its peers in the steel-making industry, a feat that the company has maintained for 18 consecutive years.

The World Class Korean Products scheme, jointly certified by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade Promotion Corp., made its debut in 2001.

It involves selecting beneficiaries among products and companies leading the global markets.

Products that have over 5 percent global market share ranked within the top five in their market are selected as World Class Korean Products.

The submerged arc welding A671/A672 is used for items to transport or store energy-related materials or chemicals that can withstand extremely high and low temperatures as well as high pressure.

Before the submerged arc welding A671/A672, Hyundai Steel’s electric resistance welding door impact beam was listed as a World Class Korean Product in 2019.

The electric resistance welding door impact beam is made of parts that are permanently joined by heating them with an electric current, melting the metal at the joint, and is used in automobiles to protect passengers from collisions.

Other Hyundai Steel products on the list include HSS ROLL, caterpillar, and steel sheet pile.

“This year is meaningful for having put high-performance steel pipe products that require weldability, processability and stability in the plant sector on the list of World Class Korean Products. We plan to strengthen our market competitiveness by expanding World Class Korean Products to mobility and energy sectors through continuous research and development,” an official from Hyundai Steel said.