New York Times Highlights Yeongwol Tungsten Mine as U.S. Looks to Counter China

A major U.S. media outlet has identified the Sangdong Mine in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, as a key source of tungsten, a strategic mineral essential to the U.S. defense industry.
In a report titled "The Korean Mine at the Center of U.S. Efforts to Secure Tungsten," published on July 1, The New York Times (NYT) highlighted that the Sangdong Mine could serve as a counterweight to China's dominance in the mineral market.
Tungsten is a critical strategic material, essential not only for the semiconductor industry but also for defense production, including missiles and armored vehicles.
The Sangdong Mine is estimated to hold approximately 58 million tons of tungsten across a 3.2-kilometer span. The mining and operations are managed by Almonty Industries, a company based in Montana, USA.
Lewis Black, CEO of Almonty, told the NYT, "We expect it will take about 45 years to mine all the tungsten reserves at the Sangdong Mine," adding, "This has the potential to supply about 40% of the world's tungsten demand outside of China."
Tungsten production at the Sangdong Mine is set to begin in earnest this year.
The annual production volume is expected to be around 2,300 tons, with 2,100 tons—the vast majority—destined for export to the United States under contract.
The NYT noted that through this, the U.S. aims to stabilize its tungsten supply chain and counter China's monopoly on critical minerals.
However, the NYT did not address the potential impact on South Korea's resource sovereignty, given that most of the tungsten from the Sangdong Mine will be exported to the U.S.
Currently, China produces approximately 85% of the global tungsten supply, effectively monopolizing the market.
Since the Chinese government announced export control measures for tungsten in February of last year, prices have surged, and the market has become increasingly unstable due to an explosion in global demand for military supplies.
At the same time, China has been working to further strengthen its market dominance, including securing mining rights for the world's largest tungsten mine in Kazakhstan.
The NYT reported that Chinese buyers are even scouring the globe to sweep up recyclable tungsten scrap.
Chris Berry, a metals industry expert, analyzed, "China is not just trying to monopolize one part of the tungsten supply chain, but the entire supply chain."
The U.S. government has also entered the race to secure tungsten to narrow the gap with China, while simultaneously moving to curb the use of Chinese-made tungsten.
The NYT reported that the U.S. Department of Defense is preparing to implement a measure starting next year that will prohibit government contractors from using Chinese-sourced tungsten.
(Photo: Provided by KT, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.