The South Korean government has partnered with three major telecommunications companies—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—along with the Korea Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (KCA) and the Korea Environmental Corporation to promote the domestic recycling of key minerals from e-waste.
On June 11, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the Korea Press Center aimed at facilitating the domestic circulation of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, found in discarded telecommunications equipment. The event was attended by Ryu Je-myung, the Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, and Geum Han-seung, the First Vice Minister of Climate.
According to research by KCA, approximately 13,600 tons of e-waste were generated from base stations, repeaters, and servers in 2023. These devices are estimated to contain about 180 billion won worth of key minerals, including copper and neodymium. Industry sources indicate that smartphones utilize around 80% of stable elements from the periodic table, with rare earth elements comprising about 0.15 to 0.25 grams in each device.
During the signing ceremony, plans for a pilot project to establish a recycling system for e-waste were announced, along with details of a new joint initiative set to begin next year through collaboration among the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Climate, KCA, and the Korea Environmental Corporation. Following this, feedback was gathered from the three telecom companies, leading to the signing of the memorandum.
The parties involved will pursue follow-up actions, including data sharing, establishing criteria for the classification and processing of e-waste, and advancing joint projects between the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Climate.
Vice Minister Geum stated, "E-waste is a key resource that can help mitigate supply chain risks for critical minerals. Through this pilot project, we will actively gather input from stakeholders, including telecom operators and recycling companies, to continuously strengthen the domestic recycling system for e-waste."
Vice Minister Ryu added, "We will continue to support the establishment of a domestic recycling system for e-waste through public-private collaboration, enhancing our resource security and promoting carbon neutrality."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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