Choi Yun-beom Ko Ryeo-a-yeon (Chairman) presents long-term growth vision... "Turning shareholder trust into long-term value"

*This content was translated by AI.

"We will expand our product portfolio from the current 20-plus types to over 30 within the next five years." "Building on refining technologies and operational capabilities accumulated over more than 50 years, we will strengthen competitiveness in the core minerals sector and continuously identify new growth opportunities."

According to industry sources on the 28th, Choi Yun-beom Ko Ryeo-a-yeon (Chairman) revealed this long-term growth vision through his eleventh letter to shareholders.

"I deeply appreciate the unwavering support you have shown as shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting held on September 9," said Choi Yun-beom (Chairman), adding, "Your trust and support empower us to steadily address challenges such as improving corporate governance, executing strategic business initiatives, and enhancing sustainable corporate valuation." He further emphasized, "We will deeply internalize the intentions of our shareholders reflected in this outcome and strive to meet your expectations going forward."

"Choi (Chairman) then elaborated on Korea Zinc's competitiveness and long-term growth vision. Choi Yun-beom (Chairman) stated, "Over the past 20 years, the number of metals, materials, and Busan products produced by Korea Zinc's Onsan Refinery has increased from 12 to the current 20-plus types." He explained, "This is not a coincidence but the result of consistent choices made over 52 years, with clear criteria guiding those decisions."

"While most refining companies worldwide focus solely on recovering primary metals and treat remaining components as residue or waste, Korea Zinc has identified recovery and purification possibilities in materials that many refiners have overlooked, transforming them into marketable products. We have designed a business model that captures value across the entire periodic table," he explained.

"The expansion of our product portfolio is ongoing," said Choi Yun-beom (Chairman), adding, "We are actively exploring new products that can further enhance competitiveness through continuous interaction with customers, their evolving needs, and rapidly changing markets." He particularly emphasized, "Our goal is to expand the current product portfolio from 20-plus types to over 30 within the next five years."

"This diversification strategy has also strengthened our ability to reduce reliance on specific metal prices and respond effectively to market volatility," he highlighted. In 2025, rising prices of core minerals such as antimony contributed to performance results, while in the first half of 2026, silver and gold recovered through advanced refining processes supported record-breaking profits. For the second half of this year and next year, the company plans to seek new growth opportunities in zinc, copper, sulfuric acid, and ultra-high-purity sulfuric acid for semiconductors.

"We refer to this as the 'Periodic Table Roulette Strategy,'" explained Choi (Chairman). "Korea Zinc's strategy does not aim to predict which product will rise next. Instead, we have adopted a strategy that secures technological capabilities to recover value from a wide range of elements, enabling us to capture value wherever the roulette wheel stops."

"Project Crucible," a project to build an integrated refinery in the United States, was also presented as a new axis for global growth. The plan envisions expanding Korea Zinc's foothold in the global core minerals supply chain by combining its proprietary technologies and operational capabilities accumulated over more than 50 years with strategic partnerships and policy and financial support from the U.S. government.

"A project of Project Crucible's scale cannot be completed through capital alone," said Choi (Chairman), emphasizing, "It requires continuous leadership, consistent decision-making, operational know-how honed over a long period, unwavering financial principles, and trust accumulated over many years from the government and strategic partners."

"Regarding the outcome of the extraordinary general meeting held on the 9th, we have expressed our intention to respond to shareholders' trust with long-term corporate valuation," Choi (Chairman) stated. "I believe this result reflects the trust and expectations of our shareholders. We will make Korea Zinc stronger through execution based on principles, improvements in corporate governance, and the creation of sustainable value."

"Over more than half a century, Korea Zinc has confirmed and proven one fact: the value of this industry often lies in places that are not easily visible," he continued. "Recognizing and recovering this value ahead of others and converting it into sustainable value for our shareholders is precisely Korea Zinc's mission."

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*This content was translated by AI.