Almonty Korea Tungsten expands Sangdong Mine staff to 133 ahead of planned full operation

Almonty Korea Tungsten said Tuesday it hired 51 new employees this year as redevelopment of the Sangdong tungsten mine moves toward full operation, bringing its workforce to 133 as of the end of August, with plans to add about 70 more positions by year-end. Sangdong, in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, was once one of the world's largest tungsten mines before it shut down in the early 1990s amid a prolonged price downturn. Almonty, a Canada-based mining company, restarted operations after 32 years, and the mine is expected to eventually supply a significant share of global tungsten demand outside China. Tungsten is a hard, heat-resistant metal used in items ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to defense applications. The company's headcount has more than tripled over the past three years, rising from 39 employees in 2023 to 65 in 2024, 82 in 2025 and 133 as of this August. About half of the current workforce — 65 employees — comes from Gangwon Province, including 28 from Sangdong-eup and 12 from Yeongwol County, aided by a partnership with the local Yeongwol Employment Cente