Currently, the resource sector faces three major challenges: the depletion of high-grade ore with the increase in low-grade refractory ore, the need for green energy technologies requiring significantly more strategic metals due to the shift towards a carbon-neutral society, and the heightened environmental regulations necessitating more eco-friendly processing technologies. Addressing these issues requires developing sustainable and eco-friendly mineral processing and metallurgy processes capable of recovering strategic metals from complex ores with trace amounts of target metals. In response, the researcher aims to develop Innovative and Sustainable Green Solutions for Resource Processing Challenges. 

For example, cyanide is widely used for gold extraction, but its toxicity poses significant environmental and health risks to humans. Therefore, the researcher focuses on using environmentally friendly thiosulfate for gold recovery. Despite its eco-friendly and high selectivity for precious metals even in resources containing high concentrations of impurities, practical application challenges remain in recovery processes, hence the researcher especially aims to overcome these challenges by developing recovery processes that utilize non-valuables (tailings) from mineral processing stages to enhance metal recovery efficiency, contributing to a fully sustainable processing scheme. This includes collaboration research with MSU-IIT in the Philippines.

Additionally, the researcher is exploring Li-ion battery recycling to ensure a sufficient supply of essential metals (Li, Co, Ni) crucial for green energy tech. (EVs), in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and KMOU in Korea. These efforts align with global environmental goals and address the limitations of conducting research solely by individual countries, emphasizing the need for international collaboration.