InterviewMongolian ambassador highlights rare earths, health care as future pillars of bilateral ties

Ambassador of Mongolia to Korea Sukhee Sukhbold speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Mongolian Embassy in Seoul, May 12. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

As Korea races to secure stable supply chains for critical minerals and expand its global health care footprint, Mongolia is emerging as one of Seoul’s most strategically important partners in Northeast Asia. Rich in rare earth resources yet eager to move beyond raw material exports, Ulaanbaatar is now looking to combine its mineral wealth with Seoul’s advanced technology and investment capacity in a partnership that Mongolian Ambassador to Korea Sukhee Sukhbold says could redefine bilateral relations in the coming decade.

In a recent interview with The Korea Times at the Mongolian Embassy in Seoul, Sukhbold described the relationship between Korea and Mongolia as one rooted in “brotherhood relations,” citing historical and cultural connections that predate the formal establishment of diplomatic ties in 1990.

Today, the partnership is increasingly driven by strategic economic interests. Since upgrading their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in 2021, Korea and Mongolia have expanded cooperation across a range of sectors, including critical mineral supply chains, infrastructure and investment.

“We have comprehensive cooperation in all sectors, and I would say in some sectors we are really intensifying our cooperation because Korea has very advanced technology while Mongolia has very rich mineral resources,” the ambassador said, emphasizing the complementary nature of the partnership.

Beyond raw material exports

At the center of this cooperation is Mongolia’s vast reserve of rare earth minerals and other critical materials essential for semiconductors, batteries and advanced manufacturing industries. Although Mongolia possesses abundant deposits, the country currently exports much of its raw minerals to China with little value-added processing. Sukhbold said Mongolia hopes to diversify and upgrade its rare earths sector as part of its long-term economic strategy.

“We are exporting raw minerals to China and just selling them as they are. But the world needs more processed products,” he said. “Why are we exporting raw materials only? We need to process them and produce the products the world needs."

Sukhbold said one of his main priorities has been attracting Korean investment into Mongolia’s mineral processing sector rather than merely encouraging extraction projects, while also strengthening government-to-government cooperation to build long-term investor confidence.

“Since my arrival in Korea (in 2024), I have focused on only a few priority sectors because I did not want to waste time,” he said. “One of them is combining Korean technology with Mongolia’s minerals.”

The ambassador stressed that Mongolia’s goal is not simply to supply raw materials but to develop local industrial capacity in partnership with Korean firms. He said Mongolia hopes to “establish factories and combine advanced Korean technology with our minerals to create final products together.”

To advance that goal, Korea and Mongolia officially launched a joint research center on rare earth minerals in December, establishing an institutional framework for deeper cooperation between the two governments and industries.

Last year, the two governments also organized a joint committee on rare earth metals in Seoul, followed by an investment forum aimed at bringing together Korean firms and Mongolian state-owned enterprises. According to Sukhbold, the meetings marked an important step in encouraging Korean companies to participate more actively in Mongolia’s critical minerals sector.

The ambassador pointed to renewed interest from POSCO International as a sign that government-to-government cooperation is helping restore investor confidence, and bilateral engagement is encouraging the company to reconsider investment opportunities.

Ambassador of Mongolia to Korea Sukhee Sukhbold speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Mongolian Embassy in Seoul, May 12. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Health care cooperation

Beyond minerals, the Mongolian ambassador stressed health care as another major area in which Korea and Mongolia can deepen cooperation, not only for mutual economic benefit but also for humanitarian purposes.

Sukhbold described Mongolia’s medical system as one of the country’s most pressing development challenges, particularly in cancer treatment. According to the ambassador, about 77,000 Mongolians travel to Korea every year for medical care, spending significantly more than other foreign patients because many seek treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer.

“Our health sector is still weak. We are trying to improve everything from the training of doctors to the treatment of patients,” he said.

The Mongolian government is now pushing to establish the Second National Cancer Center with Korean support. Sukhbold said he has been actively discussing the project with Korean ministries, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and health authorities, hoping to secure financing through Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund.

The proposed project would extend beyond the construction of a hospital building. Mongolia is seeking Korean assistance in hospital management, medical training and advanced diagnostic technologies, including MRI and CT systems.

“We need management first, training second and then the building,” he said. “Korea has very advanced medical technology and we hope Korea can help us establish and manage this cancer center.”

'Third neighbor' diplomacy

The interview also touched on Mongolia’s distinctive diplomatic philosophy, often referred to as its “balanced foreign policy” or “third neighbor policy.”

Positioned between Russia and China, Mongolia has long navigated the delicate challenge of maintaining stable relations with its two powerful neighbors while simultaneously expanding ties with strategic partners beyond the region. Sukhbold explained that Mongolia’s foreign policy naturally places priority on relations with Russia and China due to geographic and economic realities, alongside broader cooperation with countries such as Korea, the United States, Japan, France, Canada and members of the European Union.

“We are not differentiating countries or numbering them,” he said. “We communicate equally and trade with all of them.”

The ambassador argued that Mongolia’s diplomatic balancing offers useful lessons for other countries in Northeast Asia. He praised the Korean government’s recent efforts to improve relations with neighboring countries despite historical tensions, emphasizing that regional stability ultimately depends on dialogue and pragmatic cooperation.

Sukhbold also noted that Korean popular culture, food and convenience store franchises have become deeply embedded in everyday life in Mongolia over the past 15 years, further strengthening people-to-people ties and cultural familiarity between the two nations. He added that tourism and exchanges are continuing to expand steadily, with Mongolia recently extending its visa-free program for Korean tourists to allow stays of up to 30 days.