A Korean resources developer has won exclusive mining rights in northern Cambodia, an area that could contain large quantities of copper, zinc and iron ore, the government said on Thursday (Nov. 15).

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said the eight mining zones secured by Kenertec Co. cover 1,520 square kilometers -- twice the size of Seoul. It said preliminary surface surveys showed potentially large metallic deposits.

In 2002, China carried out a detailed survey of an area near Kenertec's new claims, and discovered about 600 million tons of iron ore underground.

The ministry said the company plans to conduct more detailed seismic studies starting next year to discern the size of the mineral deposits. Full-scale development of the region will take place after a complete survey is conducted.

"The area has been relatively unexplored in the past because it was a military-controlled zone and off-limits to civilians," said a government official. He said with the military taking steps to allow development, the region is attracting interest from Chinese and Vietnamese companies.

Seoul has been encouraging companies to secure foreign resources in the past few years to cope with skyrocketing raw material and energy prices.