The ministry said in a statement that it would establish a hotline and joint committee with Chinese authorities to help South Korean companies import Chinese minerals more quickly and reliably.

South Korea, which is home to leading semiconductor, electric-car battery and petrochemical companies, lacks a full supply chain for rare earths, the ministry said.

Authorities will designate 17 critical minerals needed for national security and tighten monitoring and analysis on their supplies in order to prevent an unexpected shortage, it said.

To diversify sourcing, Seoul will also cooperate with other countries including the US, Vietnam and Laos, the ministry said. The government plans to allocate 250 billion won (US$172.35 million) of state funds to support local companies developing overseas mines.

In October, Beijing expanded control over its rare earths, including extra scrutiny for semiconductor users. At the time, South Korea’s trade ministry said China’s monopoly on rare earths increased instablity in global supply chains.

On Wednesday, US interior secretary Doug Burgum said multiple countries, including South Korea and Japan, had joined a club on trading critical minerals to reduce the reliance on China.