Structural steel beams for construction are under production at a Hyundai Steel factory in June. Courtesy of Hyundai Steel

Hyundai Steel is increasing production of construction beams with strengthened earthquake resistance as the natural disaster is occurring more frequently at stronger magnitudes in the country, according to the country's major steelmaker Thursday.

Last September, the company introduced its upgraded H-CORE, a brand for "premium structural steel beams for construction." The brand's products boast the highest levels of strength, impact resistance, corrosion resistance, eco-friendly manufacturing method and versatility the company has so far come up with. The products' strength, for example, is 20 percent to 30 percent higher than conventional steel beams in use, according to the company.

The brand also provides two times more diverse cross-section shapes for steel beams than demanded by Korean Industrial Standards (KS).

"H-CORE will hopefully be recognized as the most trustworthy brand for premium steel beams for construction projects," a Hyundai Steel official said.

The company first introduced H-CORE in 2017 to provide steel beams resistant to earthquakes. It was the start of the company's initiative to research methods for creating construction steel beams that can withstand not just earthquakes but also other extreme conditions like high temperatures. The company said it has introduced some new products under the brand that have earned global recognition for their quality.

In 2020, the company launched 94 varieties of a new steel beam product called RH+, in addition to 82 other KS-approved H-beam varieties it had already launched.

The company's ongoing exploration for stronger, more flexible steel beams comes as more regions of the country have become under threat of earthquakes with magnitude 4.5 or higher over the past decade. Most recently, an earthquake with magnitude 4.8 struck Buan County in South Jeolla Province on June 12. It was followed by eight smaller tremors. The shockwaves were felt across the entire country except Gangwon Province.

Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, saw an earthquake with magnitude 4.6 in 2018 and Gyeongju in the same province saw another one with magnitude 5.8 in 2016. Throughout the past decade, there have been nine earthquakes with magnitude 4.5 or higher. Concerns have risen that the country is no longer safe from earthquakes, which increased demands for earthquake-resistant structures.