Bluebird Merchant Ventures Ltd (LON:BMV) has been granted the permit to develop the Gubong gold mine in South Korea.
This is the first permit to be issued for a gold development project in the country since Ivanhoe Mines in the 1990s.
“This is a transformational event for Bluebird with approvals being granted that set us on course to become a gold producer,” said chief executive Colin Patterson.
“In four decades in the mining industry I have never seen a permit issued so quickly to allow a mine to enter the production phase.”
He noted that the elevated gold price “highlights just how much more attractive it is to reopen old mines compared to exploring for and developing new mines”.
In July Bluebird prepared to start drilling at its Kochang mine in Korea, after receiving confirmation of a grant from local mining group KORES
Shares in the company were up 7% to 2.53p on Tuesday morning.