South Korean mine could soon supply the U.S. with a critical mineral

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Sangdong mine, South Korea — Nestled heavy successful the mountains of South Korea, successful a distant portion of the country's east, is 1 of the world's largest deposits of a captious mineral.

The Sangdong excavation contains millions of tons of tungsten, known arsenic a warfare metallic that tin withstand bonzer temperatures, thing the United States desperately needs for defense.

Mining institution Almonty Industries has reopened the excavation aft it was unopen down much than 30 years agone erstwhile China priced astir each different tungsten shaper retired of business

"The U.S. is close to bash this, determination is nary choice," Lewis Black, CEO of Almonty Industries, told CBS News. "The presumption quo cannot beryllium returned to."

But China now dominates the uncommon earths and captious minerals industries that are indispensable to powerfulness overmuch of the exertion that is utilized today. During the caller commercialized war, China threatened to usage it arsenic a stranglehold and chopped disconnected supply, which is wherefore the U.S. is present desperately searching for alternate supplies.

Tanks, combatant jets, armor-piercing ammunition, bunker-busting bombs and artificial quality rocket guidance systems each request tungsten. Black guaranteed a proviso connected his sojourn past week to the White House.

When asked by CBS News if helium volition beryllium capable to conscionable the U.S. government's request for tungsten, Black told CBS News, "For U.S. nationalist security, yes."

This is not the archetypal clip tungsten has been utilized astatine the halfway of the warfare machine. During World War II, Allied countries fought to halt the travel of Spanish deposits to Nazi Germany.

In May, the U.S. signed a minerals deal with Ukraine that astatine the clip was described by Ukrainian officials arsenic an adjacent concern betwixt the 2 countries to make mineral, lipid and state projects successful Ukraine. Under the deal, the U.S. would supply either nonstop fiscal assistance oregon caller subject assistance to Ukraine, which successful crook would lend fractional of immoderate royalties from aboriginal oil, state and mineral licenses. Leading up to the agreement, President Trump had framed it arsenic a mode for Ukraine to repay the U.S. for the subject enactment it has received successful its warfare with Russia.

In the labyrinth of tunnels underground successful the Sangdong mine, CBS News was taken to the latest deposits. A UV lamp illuminates the tungsten embedded successful the rock.

The value of gold, with the fragility of ceramic, makes tungsten is highly hard to mine. But erstwhile afloat operational successful the caller year, Black says this excavation volition nutrient 1.2 cardinal tons of tungsten ore per year, ensuring a guaranteed proviso to the U.S. for decades to come.

Aimee Picchi contributed to this report.