Korea must join global rare earth alliance before it’s too late

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Securing supply chains a matter of survival, not choice

The global race for resource security is accelerating. As strategic minerals become the lifeblood of advanced industries — from semiconductors and electric vehicles to batteries and defense technologies — nations are scrambling to secure stable, diversified supply chains. In this new era of resource weaponization, where raw materials are used as tools of geopolitical leverage, the United States, Japan and Australia have taken decisive steps forward. Their newly launched Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Supply Chain Framework marks a concerted effort to reduce dependence on China and fortify collective resilience.

These nations understand that rare earth elements are not mere industrial commodities. They are strategic assets essential to national security and economic sovereignty. By pooling their technological, financial and geological strengths, the U.S., Japan and Australia are building an alliance that will define the balance of power in the global industrial order. Korea, a manufacturing powerhouse deeply integrated into global tech supply chains, cannot afford to remain on the sidelines.

China’s tightening control over critical minerals underscores the urgency. Its near-monopoly in mining, refining and processing gives it immense influence over global manufacturing. Beijing’s use of export restrictions — most notably against Japan in 2010 and in the more recent urea water crisis that rattled Korea in 2021 — shows that resource weaponization is no longer a theoretical risk but a proven strategy. The inclusion of Hanwha Ocean’s U.S. subsidiary on China’s sanctions list further signals that economic coercion targeting Korea is very much a reality.

Meanwhile, Korea’s dependency on Chinese minerals has worsened. According to recent parliamentary data, dependence on China for key rare earths surged from 62 percent to 74 percent in recent years. Reliance on single sources has also spiked for other core materials: nickel from New Caledonia now stands at 99 percent, and manganese from South Africa at 98 percent. Stockpiles are worryingly low — semiconductor-grade silicon reserves would last just 19 days and display-use strontium only 2.7 days — far short of the government’s 100-day target. Such vulnerabilities threaten the foundations of Korea’s high-tech economy.

To navigate this perilous landscape, Korea must elevate resource security to the level of national security. The government needs a coherent, long-term strategy that transcends political cycles and integrates industrial policy, resource diplomacy and technological innovation. Past failures in overseas resource development should not deter new, carefully planned initiatives — rather, they should serve as lessons in risk management, transparency and strategic foresight.

Fortunately, Korea has strong partners ready to help it secure its place in the emerging resource alliance. The United States is actively rebuilding its domestic refining and processing capabilities, and encouraging allies to join in collective mineral sourcing efforts. Australia, blessed with abundant deposits of lithium, nickel and rare earths, has already become a linchpin in the global supply network. Japan, once a victim of China’s rare earth restrictions, has since built one of the world’s most diversified sourcing systems and stands as a model of strategic resource management. These countries, sharing both economic interests and democratic values, would welcome Korea’s participation as a trusted partner and technological collaborator.

Joining this alliance would allow Korea not only to diversify its import sources but also to strengthen its technological edge in refining, recycling and substitution materials. It would create a framework for joint exploration, processing and research — areas where Korea’s industrial sophistication could add tremendous value. Moreover, coordinated stockpiling, investment and data-sharing among allies could provide collective insurance against future supply shocks.

Korea’s leaders must recognize that securing access to critical minerals is not a matter of choice but of survival. As the global economy shifts from fossil fuels to advanced materials, the nations that control these supply chains will dominate the next industrial era. “High-tech industry without resource security” is an illusion that Korea can no longer afford to entertain.

Now is the time for Korea to move decisively to rebuild overseas resource capacity, expand strategic reserves and join the U.S.–Japan–Australia resource alliance as an equal and indispensable partner. The cost of hesitation will be far greater than the cost of action. In the age of resource weaponization, self-reliance begins with alliance.