Signal South Korea, Argentina Sign Critical Minerals MOU Covering Full Lithium Value Chain

Summary

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Argentine President Javier Milei signed a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals cooperation during a bilateral summit in Buenos Aires on July 31, 2026 — the first visit by a Korean president to Argentina in 22 years. Under the MOU, signed at the ministerial level by Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Argentina's Ministry of Economy, the two countries will share information on critical minerals policy and investment systems, pursue joint projects across the entire lithium value chain from exploration to mining, expand cooperation between geological survey institutions, and establish a director-level hotline. Officials said cooperation is expected to expand beyond lithium to minerals such as copper. The agreement builds on POSCO's existing "Sal de Oro" lithium project in Argentina, with Korea requesting swift, predictable permitting to keep that project on track. The same summit produced a separate double-taxation avoidance agreement and a commitment to stabilize Argentine crude oil exports to South Korea, part of an 11-day South American tour during which Lee also signed five MOUs with Chile covering minerals, security, and other sectors.