The reason for surface site scalping is to prepare a clean slate...

The reason for surface site scalping is to prepare a clean slate for concrete foundation trenches, reinforcement steel, possible pile driving for mills support structures, (a process that drives supports into the ground down to bed rock to ensure a stable vibration free base). The bed rock under this area is only metres deep and is granite based, no probs at all.
You do not generally clear a site in Spring only to have vegetation grow back, so this is the start of civil concrete works as stated in the news release that you seemed to have missed :-
"Surface scalping has begun for essential pre-work to prepare the site for civil construction."

As for the Korean visit to the other existing Almonty mines....have you ever heard of the term "brainstorming" ??
Also from the same NR :-
"Almonty’s South Korean development team and EPC contractor undertook site visits to Almonty’s Panasqueira mine in Portugal and development projects in Spain so that knowledge can be applied in South Korea as Almonty progresses construction of the Sangdong Tungsten Mine."

People like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein are not born every day, in fact I think the last great singular mind was Stephen Hawking, and I think they did not need "brainstorming" with there peers.

Understand what EPC means.... "Engineering Procurement Construction" and that is why the EPC group visited these sites to better understand the workings and process of Tungsten mining and the operations.

Your tag quote :-
"The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head - Terry Pratchett."
Yes, they are in your head