Gold Extracted from Mobile Phones? Soaring Gold Prices Spark Controversy Over "SIM Card Alchemy"

Viral Social Media Video Sparks Safety and Environmental Concerns
Experts Say "Unrealistic... Only Trace Amounts of Gold in SIM Cards"

As international gold prices continue to hit record highs day after day, a so-called "SIM card alchemy" video claiming to extract gold from discarded mobile phone chips has gone viral online in China, sparking controversy over its authenticity.

On January 31, China Central Television (CCTV) and other media outlets reported that a video had been posted on local social media platforms such as Douyin, in which a man living in Guangdong Province claimed to have extracted gold using SIM cards and electronic components from discarded mobile phones.

The video shows the process of dissolving components in a strong acidic solution, then separating the gold through a series of chemical procedures including electrochemical reduction. The man claimed, "After direct measurement, I obtained a total of 191.73 grams of gold." This amount is worth approximately 48 to 50 million won at current market prices.

The video spread rapidly amid soaring gold prices, but concerns have been raised about safety accidents and environmental pollution from people attempting to replicate the process. This is because the use of highly acidic chemicals can pose serious risks to both human health and the environment.

A video showing the extraction of gold from SIM cards inside mobile phones and components of home appliances. Douyin capture

Experts have pointed out that the figures shown in the video are not realistic. According to the precious metals recycling industry, the amount of gold contained in a single SIM card is less than 0.5 mg, and extracting more than 190 grams would require at least several hundred thousand cards. One expert stated, "It is difficult to extract even 0.02 grams from a SIM card, let alone one-thousandth of that amount."

As the controversy grew, the original creator of the video explained, "In addition to SIM cards, I also used other waste materials with a high gold plating content." As a result, expectations for SIM card alchemy are quickly fading.

Various side effects driven by the surge in gold prices are also emerging. A gold investment platform operated by a raw materials trading company in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, recently became embroiled in controversy after it failed to pay investors, with reported losses exceeding 10 billion yuan (approximately 2 trillion won). The company had promoted products linked to physical gold and gold prices, but suspicions of illegal derivative sales have led authorities to launch an investigation.

China is a country with a high preference for gold, with private gold holdings reaching about 31,000 tons, the second largest in the world. Recently, investment demand has surged beyond jewelry consumption, with about 112 billion yuan (approximately 23 trillion won) flowing into Chinese gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) last year alone.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, there have been cases where limited-edition electronic products containing real gold have drawn renewed attention. Last year, YouTuber "Lingling Unni," who runs the jewelry store "Jewelry Louis," revealed on her channel that the top logo ornament of the Pantech Sky "Dupont Edition" mobile phone was made with 18K gold. This model was released in 2009 as a limited edition of 30,000 units through a collaboration between Pantech Sky and luxury brand Dupont.

Recently, it was also revealed that the logo on some models of LG Electronics' limited-edition Whisen air conditioners was made of pure gold. In 2005 and 2008, LG Electronics supplied products with pure gold logos to the first 10,000 customers to commemorate achieving the world's top air conditioner sales.