Korea Zinc

Korea Zinc Company, Ltd. is a South Korean non-ferrous metals smelting and refining company headquartered in Seoul. Established in 1974 by Choi Ki-ho and Chang Byung-hee, the company developed around the processing of zinc and lead concentrates and has remained associated with the Choi and Chang families, who have co-managed the business since its foundation. Its principal production base is the Onsan refinery in Ulsan, a major industrial center on South Korea's southeast coast. The company is primarily known for producing refined zinc and lead, while recovering additional value from the same feedstocks. Its metallurgical operations generate or recover silver, gold, sulfuric acid and other metals and chemical products. Korea Zinc states, as reflected in reference material, that it processes a broad range of raw materials, including conventional zinc and lead concentrates, lower-grade ores and scrap. This diversified feedstock model allows the company to extract a wider set of metals than a single-product smelter and supports its position in the global non-ferrous metals industry. Reference material describes annual production capacity of approximately 650,000 tonnes of zinc and 420,000 tonnes of lead. The company is also associated with the production of numerous valuable metals and chemical products, with the wider product portfolio reported at 18 types. By-products and secondary metals include silver, gold and sulfuric acid, while the company has also developed capabilities for metals such as antimony, bismuth and indium. As of 2025, the reference material identifies Korea Zinc as South Korea's only producer of antimony, bismuth and indium, produced by circulating and concentrating smelting by-products. Korea Zinc's international footprint includes Australia, where its subsidiary Sun Metals Corporation manufactures and sells zinc ore. The group has also expanded beyond conventional zinc and lead refining into battery-material and critical-mineral processing. In 2023 it was constructing a nickel refinery in Ulsan with a reported investment of 500 billion won. It also established a precursor-production joint venture with LG Chem and negotiated cooperation with Trafigura on nickel refining and raw-material supply. Trafigura agreed to invest 185 billion won in Korea Zinc's KEMCO, take a 12.9 percent stake and supply between 20,000 and approximately 40,000 tonnes of feedstock annually under a related arrangement. These projects reflect a strategic effort to broaden Korea Zinc's role from a conventional smelter into a more diversified producer of critical and battery-related materials. The company's core identity nevertheless remains tied to large-scale non-ferrous metallurgy: transforming mineral concentrates, lower-grade ore and recyclable inputs into refined metals, chemical products and recoverable by-products. Reference material also records a 2026 acquisition of a smelter site and mines from Nyrstar in Tennessee, indicating further international expansion, although the available material provides limited detail about the assets, transaction structure and operating plans.

Korea Zinc was founded in 1974 by Choi Ki-ho and Chang Byung-hee as a South Korean non-ferrous metals company. From the beginning, its business centered on the smelting and refining of zinc and lead materials. The company has subsequently remained co-managed by the Choi and Chang families, giving the business a distinctive long-term ownership and governance continuity. Its main industrial base is the Onsan refinery in Ulsan. The refinery processes zinc and lead concentrates, along with lower-grade ores and scrap, and separates a range of commercially valuable outputs. Zinc and lead are the principal products, but the metallurgical process also produces or recovers silver, gold and sulfuric acid. Korea Zinc's operating model therefore combines primary metal refining with by-product recovery and the treatment of secondary or lower-grade feedstocks. Reference material describes annual production capacity of approximately 650,000 tonnes of zinc and 420,000 tonnes of lead. It also states that the company produces 18 types of valuable metals and chemical products. This portfolio includes major refined metals as well as smaller-volume materials recovered from smelting residues. By 2025, Korea Zinc was identified as South Korea's only producer of antimony, bismuth and indium. The company produces these metals by circulating and concentrating by-products generated during the smelting process, illustrating the increasing importance of residue treatment and resource recovery in its business. Korea Zinc developed an overseas presence through Sun Metals Corporation in Australia. The subsidiary manufactures and sells zinc ore, giving the wider group access to an international mining and raw-material platform in addition to its Korean refining operations. The Australian business complements the Onsan production base and supports Korea Zinc's participation in global zinc markets. During the 2020s, the company began broadening its strategy toward nickel and battery-related materials. In 2023, it was constructing a nickel refinery in Ulsan with a reported investment of 500 billion won. It also established a precursor-production joint venture with LG Chem. These developments linked Korea Zinc's traditional refining expertise with the growing demand for materials used in batteries and other advanced industrial applications. The company also entered a cooperation arrangement with Trafigura, a major raw-materials trader. Trafigura agreed to invest 185 billion won in Korea Zinc's KEMCO and receive a 12.9 percent stake. The arrangement included a long-term supply agreement under which Trafigura would provide between 20,000 and approximately 40,000 tonnes of raw material per year and obtain rights to purchase materials under the contract. The partnership was connected with the development of nickel-processing capabilities and represented a move toward securing feedstock, processing capacity and market access together. Reference material records a further expansion in 2026, when Korea Zinc acquired a smelter site and mines from Nyrstar in Tennessee. The available source does not provide sufficient detail about the acquired facilities, consideration, ownership structure or subsequent production plans, but the transaction points to continued internationalization of the company's smelting and mining base. Korea Zinc's historical development can therefore be understood in three broad phases: establishment as a zinc and lead refiner; expansion into precious, minor and chemical by-products through increasingly sophisticated processing; and diversification into critical minerals, nickel and battery-material precursors. Its established Onsan operations remain the foundation of the business, while overseas assets and industrial partnerships extend the group into a wider global materials supply chain.

• 2026

  Tennessee expansion

  [1]Korea Zincen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports the acquisition of a smelter site and mines from Nyrstar in Tennessee.

• 2025

  Critical-mineral production profile

  [1]Korea Zincen.wikipedia.org

  Korea Zinc is identified as South Korea's only producer of antimony, bismuth and indium, using concentrated smelting by-products as feedstock.

• 2023

  Nickel and precursor-material expansion

  [1]Korea Zincen.wikipedia.org

  The company develops a nickel refinery in Ulsan, establishes a precursor-production joint venture with LG Chem and enters a nickel-processing cooperation arrangement involving Trafigura.

• 1974

  Korea Zinc is founded

  [1]Korea Zincen.wikipedia.org

  Choi Ki-ho and Chang Byung-hee establish Korea Zinc in South Korea.

A large integrated non-ferrous metals refiner positioned around zinc and lead production, recovery of precious and minor metals, resource efficiency and expansion into critical minerals and battery-material supply chains.

• Base metals · 1974

  Refined zinc

  Refined zinc is Korea Zinc's core product and the principal output associated with its Onsan refinery. The company processes zinc concentrates and other feedstocks into refined metal for industrial customers and global metals markets. Reference material describes annual zinc production capacity of approximately 650,000 tonnes.

• Base metals · 1974

  Refined lead

  Lead is another central output of Korea Zinc's integrated smelting operations. It is produced from lead-bearing concentrates and other raw materials at the company's Korean production base. Reported annual production capacity is approximately 420,000 tonnes, with additional metals recovered during the same metallurgical processes.

• Specialty metals

  Precious and minor metals

  Korea Zinc recovers silver and gold as by-products of zinc and lead refining and also produces smaller-volume metals such as antimony, bismuth and indium. These materials are obtained through the treatment, circulation and concentration of smelting residues, allowing the company to extract value from feedstocks beyond its principal base metals.

• Industrial chemicals

  Sulfuric acid

  Sulfuric acid is a chemical by-product of Korea Zinc's smelting operations. Its production reflects the integrated nature of the company's facilities, where process gases and metallurgical outputs are treated to create saleable chemical products in addition to refined metals.

• Mining products

  Zinc ore

  Through its Australian subsidiary Sun Metals Corporation, Korea Zinc manufactures and sells zinc ore. This activity gives the group an overseas mining and raw-material presence alongside its major refining operations in South Korea.

• Battery materials · 2023

  Nickel and precursor materials

  Korea Zinc has expanded into nickel processing and battery-material precursors. In 2023 it was developing a nickel refinery in Ulsan and had established a precursor-production joint venture with LG Chem. The available material does not specify commercial product names, production volumes or launch dates for these newer lines.

• 2026

  Acquire a Tennessee smelter site and minesM&A

  Background

  Korea Zinc continued expanding its international production and mining footprint beyond its South Korean and Australian operations.

  Action taken

  Reference material reports that the company acquired a smelter site and mines from Nyrstar in Tennessee.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition added North American assets to the group's portfolio, but the available source does not provide sufficient detail about the transaction's value, ownership structure or operational outcome.

  Source

• 2023

  Invest in a nickel refinery in UlsanStrategy

  Background

  Korea Zinc sought to extend its established non-ferrous refining capabilities into nickel and materials connected with battery supply chains.

  Action taken

  The company constructed a nickel refinery in Ulsan with a reported investment of 500 billion won.

  Aftermath

  The project positioned Korea Zinc for a broader role in critical-mineral and battery-material processing, although the available source does not provide detailed commissioning or operating results.

  Planned investment. 500 billion won (2023 project under construction)

  Source

• 2023

  Partner with LG Chem on precursor productionM&A

  Background

  The company was diversifying from traditional zinc and lead refining toward materials used in battery-related supply chains.

  Action taken

  Korea Zinc established a joint venture with South Korean chemical producer LG Chem to produce precursors.

  Aftermath

  The partnership expanded Korea Zinc's strategic links with the battery-material sector; the available material does not state the venture's production scale or commercial performance.

  Source

• 2023

  Enter a nickel-processing arrangement with TrafiguraM&A

  Background

  Nickel-processing expansion required both investment and reliable access to suitable raw materials.

  Action taken

  Trafigura agreed to invest in Korea Zinc's KEMCO, take a 12.9 percent stake and supply between 20,000 and approximately 40,000 tonnes of raw material annually under a related long-term arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement linked project financing, feedstock supply and purchase rights, strengthening the commercial framework for nickel processing.

  Trafigura investment in KEMCO. 185 billion won (2023 agreement)

  Source

1. 1Korea Zincen.wikipedia.org