Copper Mining
The DPR is estimated to hold a total amount of 2.1 million metric tonnes of copper metal. The Korea Mining Development Trading Corp. (KOMID) was involved in a joint-development project with a Chinese firm in the development of a copper mine in Hyesan. However, KOMID was blacklisted by the United Nations in 2009 subsequent to North Korea's April 5th rocket launch. This resulted in a halting of facility construction at Hyesan. The Hyesan copper mine, located Yanggang Province would be operated by the Hyesan-China Joint Venture Mineral Co.
The Hyesan Mine, located in Masan-dong, Hyesan-si, and Ryanggang-do, is in operation since 1970 and is the largest copper mine in the country. It was flooded and hence closed from 1994 to 2009 and has been partially reopened, after bailing out water, since 2010. Other products from the mine are chalcocite, chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. The plant has a capacity to handle 1,200,000 tons of copper ore annually. According to a 1993 report, the mine produced about 90,000 tons of concentrate of 16% grade of copper.
Read more about this topic: Mining In North Korea
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