[KHARN Interview] Han Byung-joon, Head of Building Materials Sales Team, Kumho Petrochemical

Editor's Note

This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “[KHARN Interview] Han Byung-joon, Head of Buildi”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.

Premium Insulation Material ‘PF Board’ Simultaneously Meets Fire Resistance, Insulation, and Eco-Friendly Standards

Hugreen is the building materials brand of Kumho Petrochemical. It entered the building materials market in 2009, establishing its brand identity based on the concept of ‘humanistic interior’ with windows and insulation as its main products. Since then, it has introduced differentiated technology and innovation with products like the ‘Auto Ventilation Window Pro’ and PF Board. Recently, in line with market trends in the insulation industry that consider both energy savings and fire safety, the company developed the PF Board. Based on its excellent insulation performance and fire resistance, the PF Board is expanding its market share. Furthermore, Hugreen has established itself as a premium window brand by launching products like the German-style imported window, Diknik. The company currently operates a factory in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do, with an annual production capacity of 16,000 tons, producing high-quality windows through the extrusion and processing of PVC profiles. We met with Han Byung-joon, Head of the Building Materials Sales Team at Kumho Petrochemical, to discuss market trends related to insulation materials and Hugreen's future business direction.

Introducing the PF Board

“Hugreen PF Board is a high-performance, core non-combustible premium insulation material.”

Han Byung-joon explained that it ensures fire stability to withstand fire for 15 minutes and contains no halogens, resulting in minimal toxic gas emission during combustion. It also offers excellent long-term insulation performance and is convenient to install with a thickness 48% thinner than Na-grade insulation materials. It has secured multiple eco-friendly certifications, including Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Low Carbon Product Certification, and the highest grade of HB mark. Based on these strengths, it is being actively introduced at major domestic construction companies and public project sites. As part of a petrochemical group, Kumho Petrochemical has the foundation to produce the main raw materials for PF Board itself. It has established a globally integrated production system from raw material manufacturing to intermediate and finished products, ensuring excellent cost competitiveness and quality stability. Particularly, during the production process, the company conducted joint R&D with Dongsung Group, which possesses world-class technology in the insulation field for LNG carriers, to secure thermal conductivity and fire resistance. The PF Board undergoes a high-temperature aging process during production to stabilize internal bubbles and fix performance. Heat treatment allows for the production of products that meet quality standards in a short time. This is another advantage, securing process efficiency and quality uniformity.

Recent Trends in the Insulation Industry

As building energy efficiency standards are strengthened, the demand for improved insulation performance is increasing. Simultaneously, due to consecutive fire accidents, the fire safety performance of building materials is also being treated as important. Insulation performance and fire safety performance have conflicting aspects. Therefore, producing balanced products that meet market demand and regulatory standards is a major issue in the insulation industry. Furthermore, recently, carbon neutrality in the building sector has become a topic, with revisions to the Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED) and the mandatory requirement for private Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB). Hugreen PF Board has already secured relevant certifications such as EPD, Low Carbon Product Certification, and the highest grade of HB mark. The company is also establishing a preemptive response system for the strengthening of LCA items within G-SEED and the expansion of carbon emission assessment criteria. It is continuously strengthening company-wide eco-friendly technological capabilities in line with the government's 2050 carbon neutrality policy and the trend of building lifecycle-based carbon assessment.

Impact of Construction Downturn and Response Strategy

The building materials market is in a downturn to the extent that it feels a 40-50% level of sales decline across the board. Corresponding leading indicators are also poor, so the downturn is expected to continue for the time being. As Hugreen's PF Board business is in its early stages, the company is focusing on internalizing technology and strengthening its market foundation within this difficult market environment.

Recent policy efforts to boost the construction economy are continuing, and a recovery period is expected to return in a few years. Accordingly, Hugreen is focusing on securing production capacity and advancing technology in preparation for the post-market recovery.

Response Regarding Insulation Blowing Agent Transition

The blowing agent currently used in PF Board has an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of 0 and a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than 10, which is a very low level. By applying such an eco-friendly blowing agent, environmental impact is minimized. In the mid-to-long term, the company is considering developing products with even lower GWP in line with the trend of policy strengthening. The technological foundation is already secured, and plans are to commercialize it at an appropriate time considering economic feasibility and policy direction.

Hugreen’s Future Business Plans

Recently, the application of PF Board for interior insulation in apartment complexes is expanding, centered around large construction companies. As building energy efficiency standards are strengthened, the interior insulation market is predicted to expand further. In line with this trend, Hugreen also plans to supply dedicated interior insulation products from the first half of next year. The PF Board business has been running for about three years and is still in its early stages. The company currently has only one production line but is pursuing the expansion of a second production line for manufacturing interior insulation products. Furthermore, demand for insulation materials in logistics warehouses and low-temperature storage facilities is recently increasing. Hugreen is also reviewing expanding the application of its insulation materials to the refrigeration and cold storage fields.

Policy/System Improvement Measures for Insulation Materials

Insulation materials are core materials directly linked to a building's durability, energy efficiency, and occupant safety. However, recently, coupled with the sluggish construction economy, low-cost, low-quality products are circulating in the market, raising continuous concerns about quality degradation. The government should create a market environment where companies with verified technological capabilities can be fairly evaluated. Also, institutional support is needed for the insulation market to develop into a technology-competitive market. Furthermore, KS regulations related to insulation materials were recently revised, but it is understood that there are differing opinions within the industry due to issues such as interpretation of whether to reflect design standards related to building codes and insufficient standardization of measurement methods. In the case of applying long-term thermal conductivity, which is at the core of the discussion, it is directly linked to increased construction costs due to increased insulation thickness. As this affects not only manufacturers but also construction companies, contractors, and consumers, sufficient discussion should precede any decision.

Final Remarks

“Insulation materials are not visible, but they are essential elements that determine the actual performance of a building, such as energy consumption, lifespan, and fire safety.”

Han Byung-joon expressed his hope that construction companies, designers, and consumers all recognize the importance of insulation materials. When choosing a building, he hopes that beyond external factors, products that meet quality standards are selected to achieve long-term cost savings and improved residential quality.

Source: Read the original article | Published: August 25, 2025