On June 18, the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo published an article stating: "At the G7 summit held in mid-June in France, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung refrained from signing the 'Declaration on Ensuring Critical Mineral Supply Chains' due to South Korea's heavy reliance on Chinese minerals and raw materials in key industries such as secondary batteries and semiconductors. It is widely believed this decision reflects a pragmatic diplomatic strategy aimed at balancing relations with China."
The article specifically pointed out that, besides South Korea, Brazil, India, Egypt, and Kenya also did not sign the document at the summit.
President Lee Jae-myung’s refusal to sign the 'Declaration on Ensuring Critical Mineral Supply Chains' at the French G7 summit was not an isolated act, but rather a pragmatic choice made by a middle power amid the deep entanglement of global geopolitics and industrial supply chains. The most direct reason for South Korea’s non-signature lies in its rigid dependence on China’s supply chain for critical minerals in core industries.
South Korea is highly dependent on China in core sectors such as semiconductors and electric vehicles (secondary batteries). China holds overwhelming advantages in rare earth mining, refining, and deep processing—controlling about 90% of global smelting and separation capacity and the vast majority of patents. South Korea’s domestic mining capabilities are extremely limited. Blindly following the G7’s 'decoupling' or exclusionary frameworks would directly risk soaring costs and supply chain disruptions, severely damaging South Korea’s manufacturing sector.
The Lee Jae-myung administration has demonstrated strong pragmatism in foreign policy. He has explicitly stated that South Korea will not simply adopt the traditional dichotomy of 'security relies on the U.S., economy on China,' but instead places national core interests first. Although South Korea did not sign the declaration, it expressed support for the G7’s efforts to diversify supply chains—reflecting South Korea’s attempt to strike a balance between political alignment and economic interests, rather than blindly taking sides.
South Korea is not the only country refusing to sign. The absence of global South nations such as Brazil, India, Egypt, and Kenya sends a far stronger international signal:
These countries are either abundant producers of critical minerals (such as lithium and cobalt) or important processing hubs. They fully understand that in today’s deeply interconnected global economy, no single nation can independently develop without relying on China’s manufacturing ecosystem. Forcibly establishing exclusive alliances runs counter to the real interests of these resource-rich countries.
Many countries attending the G7 mineral meeting (such as Argentina) have already clearly stated that their key mineral agreements with other nations do not exclude Chinese investment. This shatters the illusion held by some Western countries attempting to build 'exclusive coalitions,' revealing that resource-producing nations prefer practical cooperation over being drawn into geopolitical confrontation.
South Korea’s refusal, along with multiple global South nations, to sign the declaration represents an objective recognition of current global supply chain realities. It demonstrates that in today’s highly globalized world, where interests are deeply intertwined, attempts to artificially sever supply chains or exclude specific countries through political maneuvering and 'small-circle' dynamics are not only unachievable but also detrimental to the economic interests of all parties involved. Pragmatic cooperation and mutual benefit remain the irreversible mainstream trend of our era.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868394716064768/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.