Issue Agenda 4: Strengthening full-cycle R&D innovation to secure rare minerals

Summary

KISTEP stresses that Korea, a major manufacturing power with meagre domestic reserves, imports most industrial raw minerals and is exposed to global supply shocks. Its supply-chain policy has largely stayed at short-term diversification of import sources, with little systematic response through technology and self-reliance. The agenda therefore upgrades a full-cycle R&D support system for rare minerals, widening the scope to recycling, substitute materials and reduced use, backed by demand forecasting by mineral. A second task builds a global R&D strategy map that begins with maps of production capacity and priority partner countries to set cooperation priorities. A third task develops a strategic value assessment model reflecting global risk, import dependence, industrial linkage, substitutability and ESG rules, together with an integrated critical mineral database.