Document:

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                                                                  Exhibit 10.2

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         This Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is dated as of August 7,
2003 to be effective as of the date this Agreement is approved by the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (the
"Effective Date") and is entered into by and between WEIRTON STEEL CORPORATION,
a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and MARK E. KAPLAN (the "Employee").

         WHEREAS, Employee and Company have previously entered into Employment
Agreements;

         WHEREAS, the Company filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the
United States Bankruptcy Code ("Chapter 11") on May 19, 2003;

         WHEREAS, in connection with its Chapter 11 filing, the Company has
arranged debtor in possession financing through Fleet Capital Corporation, as
agent, including a revolving loan facility and a term facility and (the
revolving loan and term facilities are collectively referred to herein as the
"DIP").

         WHEREAS, effective August 1, 2003, the Company's Chief Executive
Officer resigned;

         WHEREAS, the Company seeks to secure able management to oversee its
restructuring under Chapter 11;

         WHEREAS, the Company made a number of commitments and representations
to the Employee in order to retain his services during the Chapter 11 process;
and

         WHEREAS, the Company and the Employee intend to document the terms and
conditions of the Employee's continued employment in this Agreement.

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree as follows:

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         1. Employment. The Company hereby employs Employee and Employee hereby
accepts employment from the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter
set forth, and all previously executed Employment Agreements between the parties
are hereby superseded and of no further force and effect.

         2. Term. This Agreement and the employment of the Employee hereunder
shall commence on the Effective Date, and, except as this Agreement and the
Employee's employment hereunder are earlier terminated as provided in Section 9,
shall continue until the third anniversary of the Effective Date. The Term shall
automatically be extended for one additional month commencing on the last
business day of the first month of the Term and, if initially extended, on the
last business day of each succeeding month (each, an "Extension Date") unless
one party gives written notice to the other on or before an Extension Date of
its intention not to extend the Term. The date upon which the Term hereof, as
extended from time to time, shall expire is hereinafter referred to as the
"Expiration Date").

         3. Duties. During the Term hereof, the Employee shall serve as
President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company ("President and Chief
Financial Officer") and of each of the Company's principal subsidiaries. The
Employee shall report to the Board of Directors of the Company, shall be
primarily responsible for the business, financial and administrative management
of the Company and shall perform such duties as are consistent with the role of
the President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and such other duties,
not inconsistent therewith, as may be reasonably assigned by the Board of
Directors of the Company. The Employee shall devote his full business time and
attention to the performance of his duties hereunder, provided, with the consent
of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company ("CEO"), the Employee may (i)
devote a reasonable amount of time and effort to charitable, industry and

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community groups and (ii) serve as a director of other companies which do not
compete with the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, no approval of the CEO
shall be required for investments by the Executive in his personal portfolio
except for the acquisition or holding of 2% or more of the capital stock or
partnership interests of an entity that competes with the Company.

         4. Compensation.

                  (a) Base Salary. The Company shall pay Employee a base salary
         of $350,000 per year (such rate to be effective as of July 1, 2003) or
         such greater amount as may from time to time be authorized by the
         Committee. The amount in effect under this subsection 4(a) at a
         relevant time is hereinafter referred to as "Base Salary". The Base
         Salary shall be payable in such installments and at such times as
         conform to the general payroll practices of Company.

                  (b) Chapter 11 Bonuses. The Company shall pay the Employee
         Chapter 11 Bonuses not to exceed in the aggregate $1,400,000. No
         Chapter 11 Bonus, or any installment thereof, shall be contingent upon
         the Employee's being or remaining an employee of the Company on the
         date such amount is payable; provided, however, if the Employee is
         terminated from employment with the Company for Cause or resigns
         without Good Reason (as such initially capitalized terms are defined in
         Section 5), the Company shall have no obligation to pay any Contingent
         Bonus after termination for Cause or resignation for Good Reason. The
         Chapter 11 Bonuses shall consist of:

                  (i) Guaranteed Bonus. The Guaranteed Bonus shall be in the
                  aggregate amount of $600,000 and shall be paid in three cash
                  installments of $200,000 each, the first installment paid on
                  the Effective Date, the second installment on

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                  the thirtieth day after the Effective Date and the third
                  installment paid on the sixtieth day after the Effective Date,
                  provided, however, if the Employee resigns from employment
                  with the Company for reasons other than Good Reason or if he
                  is terminated from employment by the Company for Cause prior
                  to the 181st day after the Effective Date, he shall return to
                  the Company an amount determined by multiplying $600,000 by a
                  fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between
                  the Effective Date and the Date of Termination and the
                  denominator is 181.

                  (ii) First Contingent Bonus. The First Contingent Bonus shall
                  be in the amount of $500,000 in cash and shall be paid within
                  five (5) business days of the earlier of (A) the closing of a
                  transaction in which the Company sells substantially all of
                  its assets and (B) the effective date of a plan of
                  reorganization in the Company's Chapter 11 case.

                  (iii) Second Contingent Bonus. The Second Contingent Bonus
                  shall be in an amount not to exceed $300,000 and shall be paid
                  if, but only if, the Company either (i) closes a transaction
                  with a gross sales price in excess of the then outstanding
                  balance of the DIP or (ii) receives a going concern valuation
                  rendered by an entity acting on behalf of the proponent of a
                  plan of reorganization in the Company's Chapter 11 case in
                  excess of the amount of the then outstanding DIP. The amount
                  of the Second Contingent Bonus shall be determined by
                  multiplying $550,000 by a fraction, the numerator of which is
                  the amount by which the gross sales proceeds of a transaction
                  or the going concern value, as applicable, exceeds the then
                  outstanding balance of the DIP

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                  and the denominator is the difference between 350,000,000 and
                  the then outstanding balance of the DIP. The Second Contingent
                  Bonus, to the extent earned, shall be paid in a single cash
                  payment on the earlier of the closing of the transaction for
                  satisfaction of the DIP.

                  (c) Automobile Expenses. The Company shall reimburse Employee
         for his business-related automobile expenses in accordance with the
         Company's policy generally applicable to its Senior Employees.

                  (d) Other Benefit Programs. The Company shall provide, during
         the Term hereof, coverage for Employee under any plan qualified within
         the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, including
         the Weirton Steel Corporation Retirement Plan (the "Retirement Plan"),
         and each and all welfare plans, as defined in Section 3(1) of the
         Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"), including the
         Insurance Program, and each other or successor benefit programs whether
         or not so qualified or covered by ERISA, as applicable from time to
         time to its executive level salaried employees;

                  (e) Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan. The Employee shall
         be entitled to continue to participate in the Company's Supplemental
         Employee Retirement Plan or any successor plan thereto (the "SERP") in
         accordance with its terms.

                  (f) Perquisites. The Employee shall be eligible for, and shall
         participate in, such perquisites as are generally available to
         executive level salaried employees of the Company, including, but not
         limited to participation in the Weirton Steel Corporation Executive
         Healthcare Program upon the earlier of his completion of ten years of
         service

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         (including service rendered prior to the Effective Date) or his
         termination of employment under Sections 10(b) or (c).

                  (g) Indemnification. The Employee shall be entitled to be
         indemnified, and the Company hereby does indemnify the Employee, for
         all causes of actions that arise or are alleged to arise during the
         course of his employment with the Company to the fullest extent
         permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware and the Company's
         charter.

                  (h) Ratification of Prior Written Promises. The Company hereby
         ratifies each and all prior written promises, including, but not
         limited to grants of stock options, each in accordance with its written
         terms. For purposes of this subsection (k), an employment agreement
         shall not be a prior written promise.

         5. Disclosure of Information. Employee recognizes and acknowledges that
Company's trade secrets and proprietary processes as they may exist from time to
time are valuable, special and unique assets of Company's business, access to
and knowledge of which are essential to the performance of Employee's duties
hereunder. Employee will not, during or after the term of his employment, in
whole or in part, disclose such secrets or processes acquired by virtue of his
employment hereunder or his service as a director to any person, firm,
corporation, association or other entity for any reason or purpose whatsoever,
nor shall Employee make use of any such property for his own purposes or for the
benefit of any person, firm, corporation or other entity (except Company) under
any circumstances during or after the term of his employment, provided, that
after the term of his employment, these restrictions shall not apply to such
secrets and processes which are then in the public domain (provided that he was
not responsible, directly or indirectly, for such secrets or processes entering
the public domain without Company's consent).

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         6. Inventions. Employee hereby sells, transfers and assigns to Company
or to any person or entity designated by Company all of the right, title and
interest of Employee in and to all inventions, ideas, disclosures and
improvements, whether patented or unpatented, and copyrightable material made or
conceived by Employee, solely or jointly during the period of his employment
hereunder which relate to methods, apparatus, designs, products, processes or
devices, sold, leased, used or under consideration or development by Company, or
which otherwise relate to or pertain to the business, functions or operations of
Company. Employee shall communicate promptly and disclose to Company, in such
form as Employee may be required to do so, all information, details and data
pertaining to the aforementioned inventions, ideas, disclosures and improvements
and to execute and deliver to Company such formal transfers and assignments and
such other papers and documents as may be required of Employee to permit Company
or any person or entity designated by Company to file and prosecute the patent
applications and, as to copyrightable material, to obtain copyright thereof. Any
invention relating to the business of Company and disclosed by Employee within
one (1) year following the Date of Termination shall be deemed to fall within
the provisions of this Section, unless proved by Employee to have been first
conceived and made following the Date of Termination.

         For purposes of Sections 5, 6 or 7 hereof unless the context otherwise
requires, the term "Company" shall include divisions, subsidiaries and
controlled affiliated entities of the Company, and "businesses" of Company shall
include businesses of any of such entities.

         7. Nondisparagement. For the period commencing on the Effective Date
and continuing for 24 months following the Date of Termination, Employee will
not, in any form, disparage Company, its officers or directors or otherwise make
comment adverse to Company concerning any aspect of the business or practices,
past or present, of Company.

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         8. Injunctive Relief. If there is a breach or threatened breach by
Employee of any of the provisions of Sections 5, 6 or 7 of this Agreement,
Company shall be entitled to an injunction from a court of competent
jurisdiction restraining Employee from such breach. Nothing herein shall be
construed as prohibiting Company from pursuing any other remedies against
Employee for such breach or threatened breach.

         9. Termination. Unless earlier terminated in accordance with the
following provisions of this Paragraph 9, the Company shall continue to employ
the Employee and the Employee shall remain employed by the Company during the
entire Term (as extended from time to time) as set forth in Paragraph 1.
Paragraph 10 hereof sets forth certain obligations of the Company in the event
that the Employee's employment hereunder is terminated. Certain capitalized
terms used in this Paragraph 9 and Paragraph 10 hereof are defined in Paragraph
9(c) below.

                  (a) Death or Disability. Except to the extent otherwise
         expressly stated herein, including without limitation, as provided in
         Paragraph 10(a) with respect to certain post-Date of Termination
         payment obligations of the Company, this Agreement shall terminate
         immediately as of the Date of Termination in the event of the
         Employee's death or in the event that the Employee becomes Disabled.

                  (b) Notification of Discharge for Cause or Resignation. In
         accordance with the procedures hereinafter set forth, the Company may
         discharge the Employee from his employment hereunder for Cause or
         otherwise and the Employee may resign from his employment hereunder for
         Good Reason or otherwise. Any discharge of the Employee by the Company
         for Cause or resignation by the Employee for Good Reason shall be
         communicated by a Notice of Termination to the Employee (in the case of
         discharge) or

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         the Company (in the case of resignation) given in accordance with
         Paragraph 11 of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, a
         "Notice of Termination" means a written notice which (i) indicates the
         specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) sets
         forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to
         provide a basis for termination of the Employee's employment under the
         provision so indicated and (iii) if the Date of Termination is to be
         other than the date of receipt of such notice, specifies the Date of
         Termination (which date shall in all events be within fifteen (15) days
         after the giving of such notice). No purported termination of the
         Employee's employment for Cause shall be effective without a Notice of
         Termination. The failure by the Employee to set forth in the Notice of
         Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of
         Good Reason shall not waive any right of the Employee hereunder or
         preclude the Employee from asserting such fact or circumstances in
         enforcing the Employee's rights hereunder.

                  (c) Definitions. For purposes of this Paragraph 9 and of
         Paragraph 10 hereof, the following capitalized terms shall have the
         meanings set forth below:

                           (i) "Accrued Obligations" shall mean, as of the Date
                  of Termination, the sum of (A) the Employee's Base Salary
                  under Section 4(a) through the Date of Termination not
                  theretofore paid, (B) the amount of any bonus then due under
                  Sections 4(b) and 4(c), and any incentive compensation,
                  deferred compensation and other cash compensation accrued by
                  or on behalf of the Employee as of the Date of Termination to
                  the extent not theretofore paid, (C) any vacation pay, expense
                  reimbursements and other cash entitlements accrued by the
                  Employee as

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                  of the Date of Termination to the extent not theretofore
                  paid, (D) the SERP Funding, and (E) the Health Care Funding.

                           (ii) "Cause" shall mean (A) the willful and continued
                  failure of the Employee to perform substantially his duties
                  with the Company or one of its affiliates (other than any such
                  failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental
                  illness), after a written demand for substantial performance
                  is delivered to the Employee by the Board which demand
                  specifically identifies the manner in which the Board believes
                  that the Employee has not substantially performed his duties,
                  or (B) the willful engaging by the Employee in illegal conduct
                  or gross misconduct which is materially and demonstrably
                  injurious to the Company.

                           For purposes of this provision, no act or failure to
                  act on the part of the Employee shall be considered "willful"
                  unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by the Employee in
                  bad faith or without reasonable belief that the Employee's
                  action or omission was in the best interests of the Company.
                  Any act, or failure to act, based upon authority given
                  pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board, a
                  direction of the CEO or based upon the advice of counsel for
                  the Company shall be conclusively presumed to be done, or
                  omitted to be done, by the Employee in good faith and in the
                  best interests of the Company. The cessation of employment of
                  the Employee shall not be deemed to be for Cause unless and
                  until there shall have been delivered to the Employee a copy
                  of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not
                  less than three-quarters of the entire membership of the Board
                  at a meeting of the Board called and held for such purpose,
                  after reasonable notice is provided to the Employee and the
                  Employee is given an opportunity,

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                  together with counsel, to be heard before the Board, finding
                  that, in the good faith opinion of the Board, the Employee is
                  guilty of the conduct described in subparagraph (A) or (B)
                  above, and specifying the particulars thereof in detail.

                           (iii) "Date of Termination" shall mean (A) in the
                  event of a discharge of the Employee by the Company for Cause
                  or a resignation by the Employee for Good Reason, the date the
                  Employee (in the case of discharge) or the Company (in the
                  case of resignation) receives a Notice of Termination, or any
                  later date specified in such Notice of Termination, as the
                  case may be, (B) in the event of a discharge of the Employee
                  without Cause or a resignation by the Employee without Good
                  Reason, the date the Employee (in the case of discharge) or
                  the Company (in the case of resignation) receives notice of
                  such termination of employment, (C) in the event of the
                  Employee's death, the date of the Employee's death, and (D) in
                  the event of termination of the Employee's employment by
                  reason of Disability, the date the Employee receives written
                  notice of such termination.

                           (iv) "Disability" shall mean upon 30 days prior
                  notice in writing in the event Employee has been so
                  incapacitated that he has been unable to perform the services
                  required of him hereunder for a period of at least 150 of 180
                  consecutive calendar days and such inability is continuing at
                  the time of the giving of such notice. Company, at its sole
                  cost and expense, shall continue to provide and keep in force
                  during the period of incapacity which remains after the Date
                  of Termination, but not after Employee attains age 65, income
                  replacement, sickness and accident, life insurance and health
                  insurance coverages for Employee and his

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                  dependents of the types provided by the group benefit plans of
                  Company for employees of the highest job classification under
                  Company's Program of Insurance Benefits for Salaried Employees
                  (the "Insurance Program"), which coverages shall be at a level
                  commensurate with those provided to employees in the highest
                  job classification.

                           (v) "Good Reason" shall mean any of the following:
                  (A) the assignment to the Employee of any duties inconsistent
                  in any respect with the Employee's position (including status,
                  offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties
                  or responsibilities as contemplated by Section 3 of this
                  Agreement (including removal as a member of the Board), or any
                  other action by the Company which results in a demotion in
                  such position, authority, duties or responsibilities or which
                  renders such position to be of less dignity, responsibility or
                  scope, excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial
                  and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and which is
                  remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice
                  thereof given by the Employee; or (B) any failure by the
                  Company to pay when due or otherwise comply with any of the
                  provisions of Section 4 of this Agreement, other than an
                  isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure not occurring
                  in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company promptly
                  after receipt of notice thereof given by the Employee, or (C)
                  the Company's requiring the Employee to be based at any office
                  or location other than the Company's headquarters in Weirton,
                  West Virginia or the Company's requiring the Employee to
                  travel on Company business to a substantially greater extent
                  than required immediately prior to the Effective Date.

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                           (vi) "SERP Funding" shall mean the difference
                  measured as of the Date of Termination and computed as a
                  single lump sum amount between (a) the aggregate amount
                  required as (1) a contribution to the trust created with
                  respect to Employee under the SERP and (2) a tax equalization
                  payment, in accordance with the terms of the SERP and such
                  trust, to fully fund the Company's obligation and the SERP
                  Benefit of the Employee, each as set forth in subsection 4(g),
                  and (b) the actual amount then funded in the trust created
                  with respect to the Employee under the SERP.

         10.      Obligations of the Company Upon Termination.

                  (a) Discharge for Cause, Resignation without Good Reason,
         Death or Disability. In the event of a discharge of the Employee for
         Cause or resignation by the Employee without Good Reason, or in the
         event this Agreement terminates by reason of the death or Disability of
         the Employee:

                           (i) the Company shall pay all Accrued Obligations to
                  the Employee, or to his heirs or estate in the event of the
                  Employee's death, in a lump sum in cash within thirty (30)
                  days after the Date of Termination; and

                           (ii) the Employee, or his beneficiary, heirs or
                  estate in the event of the Employee's death, shall be entitled
                  to receive all benefits accrued by him as of the Date of
                  Termination under the Qualified Plans and all other qualified
                  and nonqualified retirement, pension, profit sharing and
                  similar plans of the Company in such manner and at such time
                  as are provided under the terms of such plans and
                  arrangements; and

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                           (iii) all other obligations of the Company hereunder
                  shall cease forthwith, except as specifically set forth in
                  this Agreement.

                  (b) Discharge without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason. If
         the Employee is discharged other than for Cause or disability or the
         Employee resigns with Good Reason within one year of the happening of
         an event of Good Reason:

                           (i) the Company shall pay to the Employee in a lump
                  sum in cash within thirty (30) days after the Date of
                  Termination the aggregate of the following amounts:

                                    (A) all Accrued Obligations; and

                                    (B) Within five (5) business days of the
                           Date of Termination, an amount, in a single cash
                           payment, equal to the sum of (i) one times the
                           Employee's Base Salary and (ii) the amount of all
                           federal, state, and municipal taxes (including
                           payroll and excise tax) imposed on the amount paid
                           under subsection B(i) and with respect to the amount
                           described in this subsection (B)(ii); it being the
                           intent of this section to cause the Employee to
                           receive, after payment of all taxes, an amount equal
                           to one times his Base Salary;

                                    (i) "Good Reason" shall mean (A) the failure
                           of the Company to pay when due any amount described
                           in Section 4 or (B) the assignment to the Employee of
                           any duties inconsistent in any respect with the
                           Employee's position (including status, offices,
                           titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties
                           or responsibilities as contemplated by Section 3 of
                           the Agreement (including removal as a member of the
                           Board, or any other action by the Company which
                           results in demotion in such position, authority,
                           duties or responsibilities or which

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                           renders the Employee's position to be of less
                           dignity, responsibility or scope, excluding for this
                           purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent
                           action not taken in bad faith and which is remedied
                           by the Company promptly after receipt of notice
                           thereof given by the Employee, or (C) requiring the
                           Employee to be based other than at the Company's
                           general offices in Weirton, West Virginia except for
                           reasonable business travel.

                                    (ii) the Employee shall be entitled to
                           receive all benefits accrued by him as of the Date of
                           Termination under all qualified and nonqualified
                           retirement, pension, profit sharing and similar plans
                           of the Company in such manner and at such time as are
                           provided under the terms of such plans; and

                                    (iii) all stock options and other stock
                           interests or stock-based rights awarded to the
                           Employee by the Company on or before the Date of
                           Termination shall become fully vested and
                           nonforfeitable as of the Date of Termination and
                           shall remain exercisable until the earlier of (i) the
                           expiration date of such option, stock interest or
                           stock-based rights as set forth at the time of grant,
                           or (ii) the third anniversary of the Date of
                           Termination;

                                    (iv) the Company shall instruct the trustee
                           of the Trust created with respect to the Employee
                           under the SERP to distribute the corpus of such Trust
                           to the Employee, and

                                    (v) except as otherwise provided above or in
                           Paragraph 17 hereof, all other obligations of the
                           Company hereunder shall cease forthwith.

                  (c) Payment Obligations Absolute. The Company's obligation to
         make the payments and the arrangements provided for herein shall be
         absolute and unconditional,

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         and shall not be affected by any circumstances, including, without
         limitation, any offset, counterclaim, recoupment, defense, or other
         right which the Company may have against the Employee or any other
         party. Each and every payment made hereunder by the Company shall be
         final, and the Company shall not seek to recover all or any part of
         such payment from the Employee or from whomsoever may be entitled
         thereto, for any reasons whatsoever.

                  (d) Contractual Rights to Benefits. This Agreement establishes
         and vests in the Employee a contractual right to the benefits to which
         he is entitled hereunder. The Employee shall not be obligated to seek
         other employment in mitigation of the amounts payable or arrangements
         made under any provision of this Agreement, and the obtaining of any
         such other employment shall in no event effect any reduction of the
         Company's obligations to make the payments and arrangements required to
         be made under this Agreement.

         11. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
delivered by hand or mailed within the continental United States by first class
certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

                  (a)      to the Board or the Company, to:

                           Weirton Steel Corporation
                           Three Springs Drive
                           Weirton, WV  26062

                  (b)      to the Employee, to:

                           Mark E. Kaplan
                           104 Alyson Dr.
                           McMurray, PA  15317

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         Addresses may be changed by written notice sent to the other party at
the last recorded address of that party.

         12. Waiver of Breach. A waiver by Company or Employee of a breach of
any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall be in writing and shall
not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by the other
party.

         13. Arbitration. Any dispute between Employee and Company arising under
this Agreement, whether or not a case or controversy, shall be resolved solely
by arbitration in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in accordance with the rules of the
American Arbitration Association, and judgment upon any award may be entered in
any court having jurisdiction thereof.

         14. Legal Fees and Expenses. Company shall promptly reimburse Employee
for the reasonable legal fees and expenses incurred by Employee in connection
with enforcing any right of Employee pursuant to and afforded by this Agreement;
provided, however, that Company only will reimburse Employee for such legal fees
and expenses if, in connection with enforcing any right of Employee pursuant to
and afforded by this Agreement, either (i) a judgment has been rendered in favor
of the Employee by a duly authorized court of law; (ii) an arbitration award in
favor of the Employee has been issued; or (iii) Company and Employee have
entered into a settlement agreement providing for the payment to Employee of any
or all amounts due hereunder.

         15. Entire Agreement; Governing Law. This Agreement contains the entire
agreement of the parties, superseding any prior agreement or arrangement between
the parties concerning the employment of Employee by Company, whether written or
oral, and any such agreements are null and void except that any prior stock
option agreements between the Company and the Employee shall continue to be
obligations of Company and Employee. This

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Agreement may be changed only by a writing signed by the party against whom
enforcement is sought. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Delaware, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

         16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application
thereof to any circumstance shall to any extent be held invalid or
unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and
shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law, but only
if and to the extent such enforcement would not materially and adversely
frustrate the parties' essential objectives as expressed herein.

         17. Survival of Obligations. Except as otherwise specifically set forth
in this Agreement or as otherwise prohibited by law, all rights and obligations
of Employee, except such obligations as are created by Sections 9 and 10 hereof,
and all obligations of Company under this Agreement, shall cease on, and as of,
the Date of Termination.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement as of the
day first hereinabove written.

                                       WEIRTON STEEL CORPORATION

                                       By  /s/ Richard R. Burt
                                          -------------------------------------
                                                      Richard R. Burt
                                       Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors

                                        /s/ Mark E. Kaplan
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                                    Mark E. Kaplan

                                       18<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 10.3

         The Company, with the approval of the United States Bankruptcy Court
for the Northern District of West Virginia, has adopted a Key Employee Retention
Program. The following is submitted as a summary of the program:

        A. STAY BONUS PLAN

        1. The Stay Bonus Plan is designed for the purpose of retaining key
management personnel and critical skill employees during the pendency of the
Company's chapter 11 case. The Stay Bonus Plan includes nine (9) individuals
divided into three (3) tiers.

        2. The Stay Bonus Plan is necessary because (i) the value of employees'
compensation packages has eroded; (ii) performance-based bonuses have not been
paid in any of the past three years; and (iii) as a result of a pre-petition and
a post-petition reduction in the salaried workforce and the chapter 11 filing by
Weirton, many key employees are subject to employment demands and burdens that
persons in comparable positions at companies not subject to bankruptcy
proceedings do not face.

        3. Under the Stay Bonus Plan, an employee in the Stay Bonus Plan will be
eligible for a total stay bonus payment ranging from 45% to 50% of his current
base salary ("Stay Bonus Payment"). The Stay Bonus Payment will be earned in
four installments (each a "Payment Date") as follows: (i) 25% paid upon Court
approval of the Retention Program; (ii) 25% paid on the six (6) month
anniversary of the Retention Program; (iii) 25% paid on the twelve (12) month
anniversary of approval of Weirton's Petition Date; and (iv) 25% paid upon
confirmation of a plan of reorganization relating to Weirton. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the entire unearned and unpaid portion of each covered employee's
Stay Bonus Payment shall be earned and payable upon the earlier to occur of (i)
the effective date of a confirmed chapter 11 plan in this case ("Plan Effective
Date"), or (ii) the closing of a sale of all or substantially all of the
Debtor's assets ("Sale Closing Date").

                                       1

<PAGE>

        4. The right of each covered employee to receive each installment of the
Stay Bonus Payment will be based solely on the employee's continued employment
with Weirton as of the date each Stay Bonus Payment installment vests and
becomes payable on the applicable Payment Date, Plan Effective Date, or Sale
Closing Date, as the case may be. In the event of an employee's death,
disability, termination for cause, or voluntary resignation, such employee will
forfeit any remaining or unpaid Stay Bonus Payment. Any covered employee who is
involuntarily terminated, not for cause, prior to any specified Payment Date and
prior to a Plan Effective Date and a Sale Closing Date will receive a pro rata
payout of his Stay Bonus Payment for the portion of the stay period during which
such employee was employed. Employees who are not employed by Weirton at the
time of Court approval of the Retention Plan will be entitled to payments under
the Stay Bonus Plan on a pro rata basis at management's sole discretion.

        5. Weirton currently anticipates that no more than nine (9) key
employees will be eligible for the Stay Bonus Plan. The estimated maximum amount
of Stay Bonus Payments for a base of nine (9) key employees is approximately
$666,000, or on average, approximately $74,000 per eligible individual.

        6. The Stay Bonus Plan will substitute and supercede any pre-petition
retention benefits that otherwise would be applicable to any of Weirton's key
employees pursuant to contract or otherwise. All employees participating in the
Stay Bonus Plan must, by written waiver and release, forfeit any rights or
entitlements with respect to retention-type benefits that such employee may have
at law or under any prior employment or retention agreements, or Company
programs.

        B. SEVERANCE PLAN

                                       2

<PAGE>

        7. Prior to the Petition Date, Weirton did not have established a
severance program for salaried employees, but instead, severance was
contractually provided to several key employees pursuant to employment
agreements in existence as of the Petition Date.

        8. If Weirton is unable to assure employees that it will make severance
payments, employee attrition may increase as a result of the concern that
employees could be terminated without any post-employment protection. The
estimated cost to be incurred for proposed severance payments is significantly
less than the cost of unwanted attrition and is well within the range of costs
incurred for similar benefits by comparable chapter 11 debtors.

        9. Under the Severance Plan, the nine (9) key employees will be entitled
to be paid severance benefits in an amount ranging from 6 to 24 months of base
salary, plus the cost of current health benefits for the duration of the
severance period.)

        10. The Severance Plan provides for severance benefits only to (i) those
key employees who are involuntarily terminated without cause by Weirton in
connection with a Plan of Reorganization ("Plan") or a sale of all or
substantially all of the Debtor's assets ("Sale"), and (ii) those key employees
who voluntarily terminate employment with the Debtor because they decline to
accept an employment offer from the reorganized debtor in connection with a Plan
or a purchaser in connection with a Sale where such employment offer is either
at a different location or provides for salary and benefits that are not at
least substantially similar to the employee's terms of employment with Weirton.
Severance benefits also include the following additional limitations: (a)
severance is calculated on base salary only, (b) there is no mitigation of cash
benefits, (c) cash severance benefits to be paid as a lump sum, and (d) cost of
current health benefits to be paid for period equal to severance period,
subject, however, to mitigation.

        11. Except as set forth above to the contrary, employees who voluntarily
terminate employment with Weirton will not be entitled to severance benefits.
Employees who are involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) pursuant to a
divestiture of the Company will be

                                       3

<PAGE>

entitled to a single lump sum payment if not retained by the new organization on
the transition date associated with the divestiture.

        12. The maximum cost of the Severance Program will be approximately
$1,582,000.

        C. CEO DISCRETIONARY FUND

        13. Weirton will establish a CEO Discretionary Pool of $625,000 for use,
in the sole discretion of Weirton's CEO, to retain selected individuals not
otherwise covered by the Stay Bonus Plan or for any unforeseen retention needs
that may arise during the restructuring period.

             -----------------------------------------------------

         More recently the Company, with the approval of the United States
Bankruptcy Court has modified the Key Employee Retention Program. The following
summary reflects the modified program:

         The Modified Retention Program still includes a Stay Bonus Plan, a
Severance Plan and a CEO Discretionary Pool. However, under the Modified
Retention Program, those components will be altered as follows:

        (i)     the number of participants in the Stay Bonus Plan will be
                reduced from 9 to 7;

        (ii)    the severance benefits of one individual will be reduced from 24
                months of base salary and medical benefits to 12 months of base
                salary and medical benefits; and

        (iii)   the CEO Discretionary Pool will be increased by $75,000 to a
                total of $700,000.

The table below demonstrates the change in the amounts of potential payments to
be made as a result of the above changes to each part of the Retention Program:

                                       4

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                  STAY BONUS             SEVERANCE PLAN         CEO DISCRETIONARY       TOTAL
                  PLAN                     (MAXIMUM              POOL (MAXIMUM)
                                           PAYMENTS)
<S>                   <C>               <C>                       <C>               <C>
APPROVED                $666,000          $1,582,000                $625,000          $2,873,000
RETENTION
PROGRAM

MODIFIED                $478,000          $1,345,000                $700,000          $2,523,000
RETENTION
PROGRAM

COST                   ($188,000)          ($237,000)                $75,000           ($350,000)
REDUCTION OR
INCREASE
</TABLE>

                                       5

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