Kwon Yi-gyun (far left), president of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, and Demberel (far right), director of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, pose for a photo after signing an MOU on Wednesday, as Deputy Prime Minister and Science and Technology Minister Bae Kyung-hoon (second from left) and Mongolian Minister of Economic Development Jadambyn Enkhbayar (third from left) look on. [KIGAM]
Kwon Yi-gyun (far left), president of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, and Demberel (far right), director of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, pose for a photo after signing an MOU on Wednesday, as Deputy Prime Minister and Science and Technology Minister Bae Kyung-hoon (second from left) and Mongolian Minister of Economic Development Jadambyn Enkhbayar (third from left) look on. [KIGAM]

South Korea and Mongolia, a country rich in natural resources, are expanding supply chain cooperation in rare metals, including joint exploration of critical minerals.

Mongolia is one of the world's leading countries for critical mineral reserves, holding abundant deposits of rare earth elements, nickel, copper and lithium. It has drawn growing attention as a key partner for supply chain cooperation linked to South Korea's geology and resource technology.

The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced Friday that it attended the third Korea-Mongolia Joint Committee on Science and Technology and the Korea-Mongolia Science and Technology Forum, where it signed MOUs with major Mongolian institutions in the geological and mineral resources sector to further expand joint research and science and technology cooperation.

Through the exchange, KIGAM reviewed the results of bilateral joint research centered on the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center, established last year, and discussed ways to broaden the scope of cooperation from exploration to utilization technology.

KIGAM signed MOUs with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS), the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRPAM) and the National Geological Survey of Mongolia (NGS).

Under the agreement with MAS, the two sides will expand joint research across the earth sciences, including geological surveys, paleontology, active faults and seismology, and planetary geology.

With MRPAM, the two sides will pursue joint research in mineral, petroleum and gas resources, share facilities and equipment, and promote research personnel training and technology exchange. KIGAM also aims to spread its expertise in exploration technology and digital resource information management to Mongolia and deepen resource-sector cooperation.

With NGS, the two sides will expand joint exploration of promising areas for critical minerals such as nickel and copper, conduct mineral resource assessments, carry out high-precision geological surveys and share data. The cooperation is intended to support South Korean companies seeking to develop resources in Mongolia and to strengthen the foundation for critical mineral supply chain collaboration.

An exterior view of the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center. [KIGAM]
An exterior view of the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center. [KIGAM]

The latest cooperation builds on the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center, which opened last year, and is part of a follow-up effort to advance bilateral collaboration in critical minerals and geology.

KIGAM plans to use the center as a hub for joint research on critical mineral utilization technologies — including rare metal analysis, mineral processing and smelting — while continuing to expand on-site technology demonstration, specialist training and support for South Korean companies entering Mongolia's resource development sector. The institute also intends to build a technology value chain spanning exploration, mineral processing, smelting and utilization, and to strengthen technology-based supply chain cooperation. In parallel, it will apply findings from joint research on active faults and seismology to improve seismic hazard assessment on the Korean Peninsula, broadening its international cooperation to cover both critical minerals and geological disaster response.

"Securing a stable critical mineral supply chain and conducting joint research on active faults and seismology can only yield tangible results when technology and international cooperation are built together," KIGAM President Kwon Yi-gyun said. "We will expand joint research and technology demonstration centered on the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center and contribute to stabilizing the critical mineral supply chain."


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com