Strategic Materials
Policy Tracker
KRSouth KoreaMinistry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR)

MOTIR Steps Up Public–Private Cooperation to Stabilize Rare Earth Supply Chains

ActiveSupply-chain security measureFunding or subsidy

Summary

The Republic of Korea's Resource Security Council approved a comprehensive set of rare-earth supply-chain measures on 4 February 2026, announced by MOTIR on 6 February. Measures include designation of all 17 rare earths as critical minerals, more detailed import/export tariff codes, overseas resource-development loan budget growth from KRW 39 billion in 2025 to KRW 67.5 billion in 2026, support for domestic production capacity and recycling, and a planned Rare Earth R&D Fund.

Analytical significance

The policy combines material designation, supply-chain monitoring, financing capacity and domestic manufacturing support. The budget figure is a programme allocation, pending identification of individual project-level loans or awards.

Framing anchors

Official framing, classified only from quoted passages.

Framing: Not yet coded. No framing category is assigned because this record does not yet carry a verified quoted passage from the primary source. Per the methodology, a framing label is never inferred from context alone.

Affected materials

Rare earth elements (grouped)稀土元素

Related events

Events touching the same materials.

EUCommission Decision recognising 46 critical raw material projects in the EU as Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials ActUSDOE selects nine industrial-feedstock critical-materials pilot proposals totaling $162 millionJPCertification of Santoku's critical-minerals supply-assurance plan for rare earths under the Economic Security Promotion ActJPEstablishment of a Special Purpose Company for Heavy Rare Earth Development in the Republic of Namibia and Investment by JOGMECJPCertification of Shin-Etsu Chemical's critical-minerals supply-assurance plan for rare earths under the Economic Security Promotion ActCAGovernment of Canada invests to unlock Canada’s critical minerals advantage (PDAC 2026 funding announcement)

Sources (1)

MOTIR Steps Up Public–Private Cooperation to Stabilize Rare Earth Supply Chains

Primary source

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (Republic of Korea)

OfficialenPublished 6 Feb 2026Accessed 4 Nov 2026

Official English issuer release, published 6 February, describing measures approved at the Resource Security Council on 4 February 2026. KRW 67.5 billion overseas resource development loan budget is a programme budget.

Open original document ↗

https://english.motir.go.kr/eng/article/EATCLdfa319ada/2497/view

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Citation

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This cites the record — the project's coding of the instrument. For a claim about what a government actually did, cite the primary document itself; the sources above carry the canonical URLs.

Strategic Materials Policy Tracker. "MOTIR Steps Up Public–Private Cooperation to Stabilize Rare Earth Supply Chains." Record evt-kr-motir-rare-earths-2026, 2026-02-04. https://strategic-materials-policy-tracker.vercel.app/events/evt-kr-motir-rare-earths-2026

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