Philippines thanks LX International for restoring copper mine

LX International CEO Koo Hyuk-seo, right, poses with Juan Miguel Cuna, center, secretary of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Lee Joon-taek, head of LX International's Manila branch, after receiving an official commendation from the Philippine government for restoring the Rapu-Rapu copper mine, during the Korea-Philippines Business Forum at Conrad Manila in the Philippines, Wednesday. Courtesy of LX International

LX International has received an official commendation from the Philippine government for successfully completing environmental restoration work at the Rapu-Rapu copper mine.

The award ceremony took place Wednesday during the Korea-Philippines Business Forum in Manila, a day after President Lee Jae Myung arrived in the Southeast Asian nation for a two-day state visit. The forum was attended by the leaders of both countries.

Juan Miguel Cuna, secretary of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), personally presented the award to LX International CEO Koo Hyuk-seo, who attended the forum as part of the Korean business delegation.

“Our continued commitment to seeing every stage of the resource development process through was highly appreciated,” an LX International official said. “It is also meaningful that the Philippine government recognized the country's first-ever fulfillment of an environmental restoration requirement in its mining history.”

After the ceremony, Lee Joon-taek, head of LX International’s Manila branch, introduced the restoration project as a leading example of bilateral cooperation in critical minerals between Korea and the Philippines.

“This honor from the Philippine government will serve as a strong foundation of trust as we expand our global critical mineral projects,” the official said. “We will continue to promote sustainable resource development that aligns responsible management with stable mineral supply.”

Since acquiring the mine in 2008, LX International has systematically managed each stage of the resource development process. In 2018, the company started launching full-scale restoration programs focusing on soil stabilization, ecological rehabilitation and water quality management.

In August 2025, LX International received a Certificate of Final Relinquishment from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau under the DENR. It marked the first time the Philippine government had granted such a certificate since the 1995 amendment to the Philippine Mining Act, which mandated mine rehabilitation.