Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan (C) presides over the inaugural meeting of the national resource security council in Seoul on Dec. 5, 2025. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The government on Friday launched an interagency resource security council to beef up the country’s response capabilities against supply chain disruptions and stabilize management of critical resources, the industry ministry said.
The council was established to bolster South Korea’s security in resources that play a crucial role for advanced industries amid persisting geopolitical risks and intensifying global competition over critical minerals, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
The council will establish a resources crisis alert system to actively monitor supply chain disruptions and preemptively respond to such cases, while creating a public-private joint response system.
It also aims to devise various support measures to boost Korean companies’ participation in overseas resource development projects, while expanding the country’s petroleum and critical mineral reserves.
In addition, it plans to establish infrastructure to expand the supply of biofuels as part of efforts to respond to major economies’ carbon emission regulations.
“Demand for critical minerals is expected to escalate with the growth of advanced industries, including electric vehicles and secondary batteries, amid intensifying supply uncertainties sparked by competition over rare earths between the U.S. and China,” Kim said.
“The government will concentrate all its capabilities on advancing the country’s resource supply chains and bolstering the national resource security through the resource security council.”
(Yonhap)
