Korea Zinc Launches Gallium Facility to Reduce Reliance on Chinese Supply
30. October 2025Korea Zinc has announced plans to establish a gallium recovery plant at its Onsan smelter in Ulsan, as part of a broader strategy to secure supply chains for strategic minerals traditionally dominated by China. The company will invest 55.7 billion won (approximately $39.3 million) in the facility, with pilot operations set to begin in the first half of 2028. Once fully operational, the plant is projected to yield 15.5 metric tons of gallium annually, with estimated profits of 11 billion won based on current market prices. Supported by in-house research and development, Korea Zinc has commercialized its gallium extraction technology, enabling cost-effective and profitable production. Machinery usually requires KCs certification in order to be approved for import and sale in Korea.
Gallium, a mineral essential for advanced electronic applications such as semiconductors and LEDs, has been classified as a critical mineral by both the Korean government and the U.S. Department of Energy. Currently, China controls nearly 98.7 percent of global gallium output, and its recent export bans have heightened international concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities. Korea Zinc’s new facility aims to counteract these risks while also enabling the recovery of over 16 tons of indium annually as a by-product, adding another 8 billion won in potential revenue. The company, already the world’s largest non-Chinese indium refiner, continues to bolster its technological capabilities. Notably, its proprietary low-temperature, low-pressure hematite process has been designated a National Core Technology by Korea’s Ministry of Industry.
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