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1. Development of Domestic Mineral Resources
- Underground mineral resources, being an integral part of national economy, are placed under direct control of all governments. In Korea, Art. 120 of the Constitution provides for preservation and balanced development of mineral resources as an obligation of the nation. Under the constitutional provisions, such appurtenant laws as Mining Law and Korea Resources Corporation Law are enacted for the intended purposes.
 
- The Corporation will employ its best efforts and talents for realization of maximum economic benefits on utilization of underground mineral resources. The task will involve efforts to technically overcome the pinch of scarcity of gifted resources and to realize a self-sufficiency in non-metallic minerals and to export any surplus thereof. Major thrust of support services will be directed toward development of non-metal mines having lucrative development potentials. In practice, detailed exploration programs will be conducted on yearly average of about thirty mine lots, and it is proposed that about 12 billion tonnes of ore resources will be newly secured by the year 2010.
 
2. Development of Overseas Mineral Resources
- Starting in 1978, the Corporation has embarked on positive support services for overseas mineral resources development, and whereby it could contribute much toward alleviation of domestic mineral resources pinch and acquisition of dependable sources of fossil energy and materials mineral supplies.
- As of the May of 2003, total investment by domestic enterprises reached a height of US$1.67 billion involving 153 individual projects; presently, investigation is ongoing for 79 prospective projects in 29 countries. Direct investments by the Corporation reached a total of US$32.5 million on seven(7) different projects, three(3) of which are in producing now and two(2) others hold prospective development potentials. The Corporation keeps on trying to expand such direct investment activities gradually.

- In recognition of the necessity of our direct equity participation in the overseas mining development activity for achieving the goal for the development-linked mineral import ratio for 6 major strategic minerals, viz., 30% of Coal, 10% of Uranium, 10% of Iron ore, 20% of Copper, 20% of Zinc, and 5% of Rare Earth, respectively by 2010, we are making our utmost endeavor to conduct our direct involvement in the overseas mining development.
 
3. Korea Mineral Resourse Information Center
- Mineral resources information center project has spanned a period of six years from 1998 to 2003; strategic outline was established in 1998, analytical study and outlays in 1999, development of system in 2000, and from 2001 onward work of building up database has been carried at full steam and now it starts normal operation.

- The center consists of three major categories, viz., EDMS, GIS, statistics. EDMS is a system through which information on a variety of Corporate publications report materials, scientific papers, R & D papers, etc is delivered to the customers by way of the internet. This makes it possible to retrieve and utilize resources information with no time and space restrictions. Also, if so requested by the customers, desired information is supplied periodically by means of so-called push-service system.
 
4. Test of Minerals and R & D
- KORES is conducting basic test on minerals and building stones for rational exploitation of domestic and foreign mineral resources.

- The test covers ore dressing, sizing test, assay, mineral appraisal, and physical property analysis; the test results are placed at customers discretion for ready reference with high rate of confidence and satisfaction.

- On R & D front, experiment for development of new materials with merit of boosting value of non-metallic minerals is benefiting private sector industries KORES keeps on its effort to extract higher yield on its R & D by mounting joint research program with academic research institutions.
 
5. Technical Assistance
- KORES is rendering bona fide technical assistance service for public from its reservoir of accumulated technologies. To name a few, the services in this category include exploration technique, basic test on underground water, investigation on environmental pollution, geotechnical engineering, evaluation of working environment, modernization of mining system, overseas raise boring service, etc.

- Technical Assistance for Exploration Activity
Services include technical survey on underground water and examination of base ground. Specifically, the integrated prospecting techniques employing techniques for survey on geological structure, remote sensing, and geo-physical prospecting, etc. are applied to determine the status of underground water and hot-spring resources.

- Raise Boring Service
Deepening of underground working levels and large scale galleries using internal combustion engines are susceptible to air pollutions from heat, dust and gases, posing heavy health risks for mine workers, and the project is intended to dissipate or minimize the health risks with installation of effective ventilation system.

- Assistance for Modernization of Mining Operation
Sustained development of heavy and chemical industries of the country during recent decades has had the effect of increasing the demand for material minerals. In order to effectively cope with this situation, the conventional labor intensive mode of mining operation had to be discarded in favor of technology intensive operation. The switch- over from labor intensive to technology intensive mode of operation inevitably entails additional investment for modernization of equipment, and part of such investment need is being met from the government treasury.
 
6. Government Running Organization
Name Address Tel / Fax Hompage Address
Korea National Oil Corp. 1588-14 Gwangyang- dong,
Dongan-gu Anyang-Si,
431-711 Korea 		+82-31380-2114
(F)82-31-387-9321		 www.knoc.co.kr
Korea Coal Corp. 55-1 Yoido-Dong,
Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul,
150-010 Korea		 +82-2-782-4211
(F)82-2-782-4010		 www.kocoal.or.kr
Coal Industry
Promotion Board 		80-6 Susong-dong,
Jongno-gu, Seoul,
110-140 Korea 		+82-2-734-2715
(F)82-2-734-1271		 www.cipb.or.kr
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources 30 Kajung-dong,
Yuseong-gu, Daejeon-si,
305-350 Korea		 +82-42-868-3114
(F)82-42-861-9720		 www.kigam.re.kr
Korea Energy Economics Institute 665-1 Naeson 2-dong,
Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do,
437-713 Korea		 +82-31-420-2114
(F)82-31-422-4958		 www.keei.re.kr