Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) announced on the 5th that students from the Department of Metallurgical Engineering achieved a sweep at the 20th SteelChallenge (SteelChallenge-20), the world’s largest steel technology competition, taking the Grand Prize (1st place) as well as the Silver and Bronze prizes.

At the awards ceremony, hosted by the Korea Iron & Steel Association’s Steel Industry Human Resources Development Council (Steel SC) and recently held in the Korea Iron & Steel Association auditorium in Seoul, JBNU student Choi Jeonghu (first year, master’s program) won the Grand Prize and received a prize of 2 million won. Following him, student Kim Seongjin (first year, integrated program) won the Silver Prize (400,000 won), and student Choi Seunghyeok (second year, integrated program) won the Bronze Prize (200,000 won), demonstrating the university’s excellent research capabilities.

In particular, by winning the Grand Prize and becoming the East Asia regional winner, Choi Jeonghu will compete at the world championship to be held in Berlin, Germany in April 2026, where he will face winners from around the world for the world champion title.

Hosted by the World Steel Association and organized by the Korea Iron & Steel Association, this SteelChallenge used the manufacturing process simulation module of its educational arm, Steel University, as an online mock-operation competition to test steel manufacturing technologies. This year’s competition drew participants from 49 countries, totaling 2,441 people (including 755 affiliated with 115 companies and 1,159 from 157 universities) and featured intense competition.

The overwhelming success of the JBNU student team is regarded as the fruit of more than a year of effort by supervising Professor Seok‑Jae Lee (Division of Advanced Materials Engineering) and the students. For the competition, the students formed a study team with Professor Lee in March of last year and met at least once a week to conduct in-depth research on the simulation module and on the physical and chemical reactions occurring during steelmaking operations.

Choi Jeonghu, who received the Grand Prize, remarked, 'Preparing for the competition over a long period greatly increased my understanding of steel manufacturing processes, and it was a meaningful time in which I developed practical job skills that will be essential when entering an actual steel company. I am deeply grateful to Professor Seok‑Jae Lee for his unwavering support and to the senior and junior members of the lab who worked hard in preparation together.'