Mining Industry in South Korea

Mining industry in South Korea has been growing steadily for the past couple of years. South Korea's mining and refining sectors could be boosted by events in Japan. In the short term, South Korean companies such as Korea Zinc are likely to benefit from greater demand for lead, as consumers resort to battery power for energy supplies. Looking further ahead, reconstruction efforts in Japan are likely to increase demand for South Korean steel and copper. That said, demand for uranium may, however, be dampened by concerns over safety following the 2011 Japanese earthquake.

The South Korean government will continue to step up efforts to secure mineral resources overseas, especially given increasing competition for foreign assets from other resource-hungry nations in the region such as China and India. It is believed that South Korea's overseas resource acquisition strategy will be successful due to the availability of funds in the sector, well-managed companies with international expertise and the support of a proactive government.

South Korea's mining industry is dominated by the largest and the world's third largest steelmaker Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO), and state-owned entities Korea Zinc and Korea Resources (Kores). Other major players in the country's key steel sector include Hyundai Steel and Dongkuk Steel. Korea Zinc is South Korea's leading lead and zinc producer, covering 46% and 68% of domestic lead and zinc production. Poongsan Corp is South Korea's leading nonferrous metals producer, while LS-Nikko Copper is the country's main copper producer.

South Korea is the fourth largest economy in Asia and home to many world-class companies employing cutting-edge technology in the production of everything from mobile phones to ships - all of which are exported in great abundance. It is expected to step up overseas joint ventures in the exploration and development of coal, copper and iron ore in Latin America, South East Asia and Africa in order to overcome its domestic mineral shortage. In particular, state-owned steel giant Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) has complemented its domestic expansion activities with recent projects in India, Brazil and Russia, among others. Furthermore, given growing demand for cleaner energy sources, South Korean companies have become increasingly interested in securing supplies of uranium, a key component in the generation of nuclear power.

In this industry scenario, Taiyou Research analyzes the South Korean Mining Industry. The report covers the following:

• An industry definition.
• A brief analysis of the Asia Pacific mining industry. We look at the mining industries in Australia, China, Indonesia, India, and Philippines.
• An analysis of the South Korean mining industry includes an industry statistics, market value and volume analysis, an industry segmentation and a regional market share analysis.
• Analysis of the regulatory framework governing the mining industry in South Korea.
• An analysis of the various commodity markets in South Korea. Markets analyzed include the market for copper, lead, zinc, uranium, etc. For each commodity, we analyze production statistics, new projects, existing projects, major producers, and the industry profile.
• Competition in the industry is analyzed through competitive landscape, the strategic importance of the sector, and an analysis of the major companies.
• Major players are analyzed through a company overview, analysis of the major business segments, and a SWOT analysis.

An industry forecast completes this comprehensive coverage of the South Korean Mining Industry from Taiyou Research.