SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - As tensions between the United States and China continue to roil global supply chains, especially those critical to the electric vehicle industry, South Korea is being urged to strengthen its strategic engagement with Africa to secure vital battery minerals.
A report released Tuesday by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) warns that growing geopolitical fragmentation threatens the stability of supply routes for key materials such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, and manganese.
These minerals are indispensable to the production of EV batteries, and much of the world’s reserves are concentrated in Africa.
The report notes that competition among major economies to establish footholds on the continent has intensified, driven by Africa’s mineral wealth, its young and expanding labor force, and its governments’ commitment to industrial development.
China, with a long track record of diplomatic investment in Africa, has made the region central to its foreign policy.
Chinese foreign ministers traditionally make their first overseas visits of the year to African nations, and the Belt and Road Initiative has directed billions of dollars into infrastructure supporting mineral extraction and transport.
Japan is deepening its own footprint through a combination of technical assistance and equity investments by trading conglomerates.
South Korea, while lacking the financial heft or diplomatic reach of these larger players, holds unique advantages in battery technology and manufacturing, the KITA report argues.
The report said that Korea’s battery industry is confronting a dual threat: China’s growing control over mineral supply chains, and the United States’ accelerating push to reduce dependency on Chinese materials.
“Africa presents an increasingly vital diversification route,” the report said. “But a piecemeal approach won’t suffice. Strategic, coordinated engagement is essential.”
The call comes at a pivotal moment for South Korea, whose leading battery makers — including LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On — are expanding rapidly abroad but remain exposed to mounting supply-side uncertainties.
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