Lee Maps Out Korea's AI Supply Chain, Securing Key Resources in Latin America

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung concluded an 11-day trip to secure crucial resources for the country's AI ambitions. The tour connected both ends of the AI ecosystem, partnering with Silicon Valley giants like Nvidia and Broadcom in San Francisco and securing commitments from Latin American nations on rare earths, copper, lithium, and crude oil.

In Chile, Lee signed a critical minerals partnership with President Jose Antonio Kast to revive the Korea-Chile Free Trade Commission. The country holds the world's largest copper reserves and biggest known lithium deposits, making it an essential partner for South Korea's AI infrastructure.

Copper is indispensable for AI wiring, power grids, and hyperscale data centers, while lithium remains central to batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Brazil addressed another vulnerability by adopting a joint statement on critical minerals with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, including rare earths, of which Brazil possesses an estimated 21 million tons.

Argentina completed the resource map, signing a lithium memorandum covering exploration, extraction, and processing while opening a new supply route for crude oil. The agreements remain largely memorandums of understanding, but their ultimate value will depend on whether they translate into long-term mineral offtake agreements and commercial investment.