Korea Establishes Rare Metal Research Hub in Resource-Rich Mongolia

Korea is establishing a rare metal research hub in resource-rich Mongolia to diversify its supply chain and counter China's dominance in rare earth elements.

The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced Wednesday that it opened the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Center at the Geological Central Research Academy (GCRA) in Ulaanbaatar on January 12.

The center was established as part of the government's Official Development Assistance (ODA) project titled "Establishment of a Rare Metal Center for High Value-Added Processing and Commercialization of Mongolia's Rare Metals." The facility is equipped with 56 types of advanced equipment and will conduct research on adding value to 35 types of rare metals including rare earth elements, tungsten, molybdenum and lithium.

Mongolia is a resource-rich nation holding 16% of the world's rare earth reserves along with approximately 80 types of minerals including copper, tungsten, molybdenum, tin, lithium and coal. However, these resources remain underutilized due to a lack of mineral processing technology to refine and separate ores. Korea and Mongolia have agreed to join forces in securing relevant technologies, with Korea aiming to diversify its rare earth supply and Mongolia seeking to expand resource exports. Research on mineral analysis, ore processing and separation, and smelting will begin next year.

KIGAM will also collaborate on talent development by selecting outstanding personnel from local universities, research institutes and companies, supporting them in obtaining master's and doctoral degrees at Korean graduate schools, and operating advanced training programs that invite local experts to Korea for technology transfer in mineral processing and smelting. The institute plans to support Korean companies' entry into Mongolia through the establishment of joint ventures.

KIGAM is also conducting exploration to confirm deposits of critical minerals including nickel in western Mongolia's Bayan-Ulgii and southern Gobi regions. The institute is pursuing joint research agenda development between the two governments through the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metal Cooperation Committee.

"The Rare Metal Cooperation Center is a starting point for creating new value by combining Korea's advanced technology with Mongolia's abundant resources," said Jeon Ho-seok, a principal researcher at KIGAM's Resource Recovery Research Center. "Starting next year, we will accelerate technology transfer, talent development and industrial cooperation to create a win-win model for mutual growth."