As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the cooperation by and between the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation (KOMIR), formerly Mine Reclamation Corporation (MIRECO), five (5) personnel of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) conducted a post-mining land use site visit in South Korea on May 14-20, 2023. The said visit is in relation to the implementation of the Mine Closure Plans in Korea, and to discuss and explore cooperation between the MGB and KOMIR.

On March 28, 2017, the MGB and MIRECO entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the Cooperation in Mine Reclamation/Rehabilitation in the Philippines. Accordingly, the said MOA aims to promote joint collaboration on mine reclamation/rehabilitation and develop partnership through cooperative activities between MGB and MIRECO, in accordance with their respective national laws and on the principles of mutual benefit.

On Day 1 of the visit, a courtesy call was conducted at the KOMIR Office in Wonjun City, Gangwon Province. During the meeting, the importance of the relationship between Korea and the Philippines in mining development, particularly on exploration, operation, and mine rehabilitation, was discussed. The KOMIR recognized the vast mineral resources especially the critical minerals in the Philippines, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, copper, and aluminum, which are essential in building Korea’s supply chains of minerals.  The KOMIR is also looking forward to the approval and adoption of an updated MOA with the DENR this year, particularly on the mining development of critical minerals in the Philippines for Korea’s essential inputs for their clean energy technology and battery storage.

The delegates from the MGB also attended a lecture on the “Treatment of Mine Drainage in Korea” held at KOMIR Conference Room. The said lecture was presented by Prof. Duk-Min Kim, Ph.D., Department of New Energy and Mining Engineering, Sangji University. Accordingly, the said lecture dealt with the discussion of the following topics: (a) Overview of Mine Drainage in Korea; (b) Passive Treatment; (c) Active Treatment; and (d) Various case studies on Passive and Active Treatment.

On Days 2-3, the MGB delegates visited three (3) mine drainage treatment facilities in Korea being managed by KOMIR. The MGB delegates learned the various treatment methods employed by KOMIR in addressing the contamination of mine drainage in the formerly abandoned coal mines in Korea. The following are the abandoned mines visited by MGB delegates with existing mine drainage treatment facilities managed by KOMIR:

On Days 4-5, the MGB delegates also visited four (4) former coal mines that are converted into recreation facilities (casino and resort) and tourism sites (museum). Through the efforts and support of the respective local governments and the KOMIR, the former mining towns were revitalized and converted into beneficial post-mining land uses. These coal mining areas used to be the site of “coal rush” when coal was used as a major national energy source during the 1970s to 1980s in Korea. However, these coal mines experienced an economic decline when coal was replaced by oil and gas as an energy source in the 1990s. The following are the post-mining land use sites visited by the MGB delegates:

In addition, the MGB delegates also had a meeting with LX International Corporation (formerly LG International Corporation) to discuss the status of the implementation of the Final Mine Rehabilitation and/or Decommissioning Plan (FMR/DP) of Rapu-Rapu Minerals, Inc./Rapu-Rapu Processing, Inc. (RRMI/RRPI) located in Rapu-Rapu Island, Province of Albay. The RRMI/RRPI is the first mining company in the Philippines that implemented its FMR/DP since 2014. The LX International Corporation also expressed their intention to new business opportunities such as establishment of nickel processing plants and mining of critical minerals in the country.

The following are the MGB Central Office (CO) and MGB Regional Office (RO) No. V personnel that participated in the post-mining land use site visit in South Korea: Engr. Teodorico A. Sandoval, OIC Assistant Director and Chief, Planning, Policy and International Affairs Division in concurrent capacity, MGB CO; Engr. Guillermo A. Molina, Jr. IV, Regional Director, MGB RO No. V; Engr. Marcial H. Mateo, Chief, Mine Safety, Environment and Social Development Division (MSESDD), MGB CO; Mr. Jose Marcel S. Laud, Chief, MSESDD, MGB RO No. V; and For. Teodorico L. Marquez, Jr., Chief, Mine Rehabilitation Section, MSESDD, MGB CO.

By: Mine Safety, Environment, and Social Development Division

The MGB delegates with KOMIR Officials.

The MGB delegates while attending the lecture of Prof. Duk-Min Kim, Ph.D.,
Department of New Energy and Mining Engineering, Sangji University, on
“Treatment of Mine Drainage in Korea” at KOMIR Conference Room.

The MGB delegates with KOMIR personnel while visiting the HwangJi-Yuchang Mine
Drainage Facility in Samcheok City, Gangwon Province.

The MGB delegates with KOMIR personnel at Taekbaek Coal Museum and Tongri Tan-tan Park,
a former coal mine converted into a museum and theme park at Cheonjedan-gil, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do.

The MGB delegates with LX International Corporation Officials.