The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Department of State of the United States (U.S.) launched the first joint scientific research project under the ‘Embassy Science Fellows (ESF) Program’ on October 26, 2023.

The research will promote the use of environmentally friendly technologies to extract rare earth elements and other critical elements from coal ash. Our efforts will bolster international cooperation in enhancing sustainable extraction and processing of critical minerals by advancing deployment of clean technologies in the global supply chain of critical minerals. This collaboration complements existing multilateral critical minerals dialogue mechanisms, such as the Minerals Security Partnership, in which both the ROK and the United States are actively participating.

The ROK-U.S. joint ESF project in Vietnam is an important milestone in expanding our science and technology cooperation and promoting cooperation in other countries. The ROK and U.S. embassies in Hanoi are working closely together to support research activities on the ground. 

The joint project will be carried out by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for three months from October 2023 in KIGAM’s office in Hanoi, Vietnam. The ROK and the United States are working closely with the Vietnamese government to facilitate this joint research. END.