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Project Vault
An analytical briefing on Project Vault’s $10bn critical minerals stockpile and the 55‑nation framework, with price supports, scope, and operational…
2 avril 2026
Anna K.Country Intelligence
Industrial & Corporate Base
South Korea
South Korea stands out in this dataset through named industrial and corporate presence, upstream production exposure, and processing and refining capacity, with its strongest relevance showing up in Indium, Gallium, and Graphite.
This country stands out through downstream industrial presence, named companies, and end-market relevance rather than pure upstream concentration.
Industrial baseProducer baseRefining hub
Strategic Read
Industrial base
South Korea matters because refining and processing concentration can translate into leverage even when mine output is not dominant.
Policy events
2
Materials covered
5
Leading materials
IndiumGalliumGraphiteTungsten
Overview
Why South Korea matters
Primary read
Industrial base
Why it matters
South Korea matters because refining and processing concentration can translate into leverage even when mine output is not dominant.
What to watch
Watch policy changes, permitting, and trade rules alongside any shift in Indium exposure.
Coverage signals
Materials covered
5
Linked policy events
2
Refining appearances
3
Named companies
6
These are dataset signals showing how often South Korea appears across strategic materials research, not official reserve or production totals.
Mining / upstream supply
High
3
Refining / processing
High
3
Policy leverage
Moderate
2
Industrial presence
High
6
Material Exposure
Where South Korea appears in the dataset
In
Indium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey Player
Indium matters here because of producer signal: 16–20% (150–180 t), refining share: 18%, and 2 named players.
Producer signal
16–20% (150–180 t)
Refining share
18%
Ga
Gallium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey Player
Gallium matters here because of producer signal: <1% (refining), refining share: 0.3%, and 1 named player.
Producer signal
<1% (refining)
Refining share
0.3%
C
Graphite
Processing and refining relevance
RefinerKey Player
Graphite matters here because of refining share: 2% and 1 named player.
Refining share
2%
W
Tungsten
Upstream production relevance
Producer
Tungsten matters here because of producer signal: 2% (1,700 tonnes).
Producer signal
2% (1,700 tonnes)
Co
Cobalt
Corporate and industrial relevance
Key Player
Cobalt matters here because of 2 named players.
Production & Refining
Industrial footprint by material
| Material | Roles | Producer signal | Refining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player | 16–20% (150–180 t) | 18% |
| Gallium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player | <1% (refining) | 0.3% |
| Graphite | Refiner, Key Player | N/A | 2% |
| Tungsten | Producer | 2% (1,700 tonnes) | N/A |
| Cobalt | Key Player | N/A | N/A |
Key Players
Companies and industrial actors linked to South Korea
LG Energy Solution
South Korea
Major EV battery supplier; NMC chemistry focus
Samsung SDI
South Korea
Premium NMC batteries for EVs and electronics
Korea Zinc
South Korea
Gallium recovery from zinc refining residues
Posco Chemical
South Korea
Major non-Chinese anode manufacturer
Korea Zinc Co., Ltd.
South Korea
Estimated 100–150 t/yr indium from Onsan smelter complex (~1M t/yr zinc). Supplies Samsung, LG, SK Hynix with 5N–6N material.
Young Poong Corporation
South Korea
Estimated 50–80 t/yr; specialty alloys and high-purity indium.
Policy Activity
Relevant policy and regulation
Oct
Oct 2025
South Korea announces national RE supply chain strategy
Government of South Korea · Government of South Korea
First comprehensive strategy covering domestic extraction, separation, magnet manufacturing, and cooperation with US, Japan, and Australia.
Dec
Dec 2023
China Imposes Graphite Export Controls
China · China MOFCOM
Requires special permits for exporters of highly sensitive graphite products, including battery-grade spherical graphite. South Korea and Japan heavily impacted.
Structural Risks
Chokepoints and concentration notes
No country-specific chokepoint notes were extracted from the current material profiles.
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