A delegation of U.S. congressional staff members poses for a photo during a visit to Korea Zinc’s Onsan Smelter in Ulsan, June 18. Courtesy of Korea Zinc

A delegation of U.S. congressional staff members recently visited Korea Zinc’s Onsan Smelter, a globally recognized hub for critical minerals production, underscoring the importance of the company’s joint project with the U.S. government and the need for deeper Korea-U.S. cooperation on supply chain security.

Korea Zinc said Friday that a seven-member delegation, consisting of staff from the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and military officials, toured the company’s flagship smelting complex in Ulsan on June 18.

The visit was arranged at the request of the U.S. Congress and facilitated by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, allowing policymakers to gain firsthand insight into the smelter’s refining technologies, production capabilities and competitiveness in critical mineral supply chains.

During the visit, the delegation received briefings on Korea Zinc’s business operations and global critical mineral supply chains before touring key production facilities.