Public and Private Sectors Join Hands in Securing 'Africa's Key Minerals'

The Korean government and companies are actively cooperating with African countries to secure essential critical minerals for the 4th future industries such as electric vehicles and batteries, as well as for defense and security sectors. Africa, known to hold 30% of the world's critical mineral resources, is considered an essential partner for the stable supply of critical minerals.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kang In-seon and Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Phumzile Mmisana of South Africa held a bilateral meeting on the 5th (local time) in Cape Town, South Africa, and are taking a commemorative photo. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 6th, Vice Minister Kang In-seon held bilateral talks with Steven Kilus, Deputy Minister of Minerals of Tanzania, Phumzile Msimanga, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy of South Africa, and Winston Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe, respectively, during his visit to South Africa to preside over the 'Korea-Africa Critical Minerals Dialogue,' discussing cooperation plans in the critical minerals sector.

In the meeting with Deputy Minister Kilus of Tanzania, Vice Minister Kang requested Tanzania's cooperation to ensure the successful implementation of the 'Mahenge Graphite Mine Project,' a representative critical minerals security partnership (MSP, Minerals Security Partnership) project involving Korean companies. MSP includes 14 countries such as Korea, the chair nation, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada.

Deputy Minister Kilus promised support for the Mahenge Graphite Mine Project and expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would expand beyond minerals to various fields such as agriculture and education.

In the meeting with Deputy Minister Msimanga of South Africa, both countries reached a consensus to strengthen diverse economic cooperation, including critical minerals.

Vice Minister Kang, who met with Minister Chitando of Zimbabwe, a country rich in minerals, highly evaluated the mutually complementary cooperation potential between the two countries.

Meanwhile, at the '1st Korea-Africa Critical Minerals Dialogue' held on the 4th (local time) in Cape Town, South Africa, presided over by Vice Minister Kang, Korean companies such as POSCO International, LX International, and Samsung C&T participated and discussed joint exploration and development of critical minerals in Africa. This event was arranged in conjunction with 'Mining Indaba,' Africa's largest mining event. About 100 participants, including government delegations from Korea and 11 African countries?Algeria, Republic of Congo, C?te d'Ivoire, Gambia, Lesotho, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe?as well as key mineral-related institutions and company representatives, attended the event.