▲ Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo receives the 'Golden Accolade for Overseas Construction' for cumulative overseas orders valued at USD 146.2 billion

▲ The Pattani–Narathiwat Highway (Thailand), Jubail Industrial Port (Saudi Arabia), South Pars Gas Plant (Iran), and Barakah Nuclear Power Plant (UAE) are inducted into the Overseas Construction Projects Hall of Fame

At an event commemorating USD 1 trillion in overseas construction orders for Korean construction companies, Hyundai E&C once again asserted its status as the nation's leading construction company, receiving the 'Golden Accolade for Overseas Construction' for achieving the highest aggregate order value of over USD 140 billion.

At the ‘Commemorative Ceremony Celebrating USD 1 Trillion in Overseas Construction Orders and the 60th Anniversary of Korea’s Entry into the Overseas Construction Market’ held at the Construction Center in Gangnam, Seoul on November 29th, Hyundai E&C, as the only company to surpass the USD 100 billion order milestone and in recognition of its unrivaled track record of overseas orders, was honored with the 'Golden Accolade.' Hyundai E&C also had the most projects selected for inclusion among the 'Top 10 Overseas Construction Projects Hall of Fame,' an award dedicated to overseas projects with significant symbolic value.

The event, hosted by the International Contractors Association of Korea (ICAK) and sponsored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was attended by Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo; First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Jin Hyun-hwan; and International Contractors Association of Korea Chairman Han Man-hee, as well as officials from related organizations and CEOs and employees of major construction companies. They gathered to celebrate USD 1 trillion in cumulative overseas orders and the innumerable achievements of Korean construction companies over the past 60 years. The Korean construction industry, which took its first step into the overseas market in 1965 when Hyundai E&C won the contract for Thailand's Pattani–Narathiwat Highway, has become the third industry, after semiconductors and automobiles, to surpass the USD1 trillion mark in overseas orders, driving economic growth as a key national industry.

At the commemorative ceremony, in recognition of its contribution of securing over USD146.2 billion through more than 850 projects in over 60 countries around the world, CEO Lee Han-woo received the ' Golden Accolade for Overseas Construction.' Hyundai E&C's cumulative overseas order value accounts for 14.5% of the Republic of Korea's total aggregate overseas orders.

In addition, Hyundai E&C had a total of four projects listed among the 'Top 10 Overseas Construction Projects Hall of Fame,' selected to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Korea’s entry into the overseas construction market. These include the Pattani–Narathiwat Highway (Thailand), which marked the nation’s first overseas construction project; the Jubail Industrial Port (Saudi Arabia), which signaled the beginning of the Middle East construction boom; the South Pars Gas Field (Iran), the world's largest gas plant at the time of construction; and the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant (UAE), the Republic of Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant.

The ‘Top 10 Projects Hall of Fame’, selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to highlight the 60-year history and achievements of Korean construction, were finalized through an online public vote held from March 25th to April 8th and a committee of experts. The selection criteria included ▲order value and economic contribution, ▲technological innovation and construction difficulty, ▲enhancement of the national brand and international status, and ▲socio-economic ripple effects. These projects will be inducted into the ‘Overseas Construction Hall of Fame.’

In an era when it had no experience in either overseas construction or highways, Hyundai E&C boldly entered the Thai market to build an international-standard highway for the first time, and based on this experience, it subsequently constructed Korea’s Gyeongbu Expressway, known as the nation's primary logistics artery. Additionally, by successfully completing the Jubail Industrial Port, dubbed 'the greatest construction undertaking of the 20th century,' the company distinguished itself in the offshore structures market, which had previously been monopolized by firms with more advanced technology, as well as in the wider Middle Eastern market.

Its monumental track record continued to garner momentum in the plant and nuclear power plant construction sectors. Hyundai E&C, which led construction of the massive gas treatment facilities for one of the world's largest gas fields, South Pars, in phases 2 through 5, rewrote the history of large-scale plant construction with its record for the shortest completion time. With the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which boasts the highest overseas order value in Korean construction history, the company demonstrated its capacity for 'on time & within budget' project execution, becoming a crucial cornerstone for the nation's leap to become a global nuclear power powerhouse.

A Hyundai E&C official stated, “Hyundai E&C's unrivaled overseas construction track record is the fruit of a history of ‘firsts’ and ‘bests’, traversing deserts and polar regions based on the bold spirit of challenge passed down from our late founding Chairman Chung Ju-yung.” The official added, “Channeling the spirit of six decades of untiring passion, Hyundai E&C will further expand the horizons of K-construction and continue our mission to build a sustainable future, striving ever harder to reach the goal of USD 2 trillion in overseas orders.”

Former employees Kim Heon-il and Heo Yeol, who participated in the Jubail Industrial Port project, along with current employees Lim Jae-yong, Managing Director of the Plant Business Planning Office, and Kang Seok-won, General Manager of Hyundai E&C’s Baghdad Office, were recognized for their contributions to the development of Korea’s overseas construction sector and received commendations from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

An exhibition of the track record of the 60 years of achievements in overseas construction, including the Top 10 Overseas Construction Projects Hall of Fame, will be open to the public at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Korea Territorial Development Museum starting in the second half of this year.