Exeter Begins Water Exploration Drilling for Its Caspiche Gold-Copper Project, Chile

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 9, 2013) - Exeter Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT:XRA)(NYSE Amex:XRA)(TSX:XRC)(FRANKFURT:EXB) - ("Exeter" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of water drilling for its Caspiche gold-copper project located in northern Chile. The drilling campaign is taking place at Cuenca One, one of two water exploration tenements owned by the Company. The estimated cost of the drilling program is CAD$1.3 million.

The objective of the drilling program is to identify and evaluate water sources capable of meeting the needs of both the heap leach stage and the follow-on sulphide stage of a potential mine development at Caspiche. Two water exploration holes were drilled in 2012 at Cuenca One. The first hole was abandoned due to poor drilling conditions and the second was prematurely terminated at a depth of 250m within "damp gravels", well above the targeted depth of the hole. The termination of the drilling program last year was due to the onset of winter weather conditions.

Given that major alpine reservoirs in the region are typically located at depths of some 500m and the fact that "damp gravels" were encountered at shallower depths in earlier drilling, the Company is optimistic that water will be encountered in the current program.

Exeter is also conducting a preliminary evaluation of a second water exploration tenement which was recently granted to the Company. In addition, as previously reported, Exeter continues to investigate the Rio Peñas Blancas and Rio Aguas Dulces areas, where the Company has an option over granted surface water rights that total 300 litres a second from river flows into Laguna Verde.

About Exeter

Exeter is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the Caspiche project in Chile. The project is situated in the Maricunga gold district, between the Maricunga mine (Kinross Gold Corp.) and the Cerro Casale gold-copper deposit (Barrick Gold Corp. and Kinross Gold Corp.). The Company is also evaluating new opportunities with the objective of securing properties which offer near term discovery potential.

The Caspiche gold-copper discovery represents one of the largest mineral discoveries made in Chile in recent years. Exeter has completed pre-feasibility studies that demonstrate the potential for commercializing this world class discovery. The Company currently has cash reserves of CAD$55 million and no debt.

You are invited to visit the Exeter web site at www.exeterresource.com.

EXETER RESOURCE CORPORATION

Bryce Roxburgh, President and CEO

Safe Harbour Statement - This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (together, the "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including in relation to the Company's belief as to the extent and timing of its drilling programs, various studies including pre-feasibility studies, engineering, environmental, infrastructure and other studies, and exploration results, budgets for its exploration programs, the potential tonnage, grades and content of deposits, timing, establishment and extent of resources estimates, potential for financing its activities, potential production from and viability of its properties, availability of water, power, surface rights and other resources, permitting submission and timing, potential to acquire new projects and expected cash reserves. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, the price of gold, silver and copper, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with negotiations and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking information. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with project development; including risks associated with the failure to satisfy the requirements of the Company's agreement with Anglo American on its Caspiche project which could result in loss of title; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; uncertainties and risks related to carrying on business in foreign countries; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters of the Company with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; competition; dilution; the volatility of the Company's common share price and volume; tax consequences to U.S. investors; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2011 dated March 30, 2012 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors - The information contained herein and incorporated by reference herein has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. In particular, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserve". The Securities Exchange Commission's (the "SEC") disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards, unless such information is required to be disclosed by the law of the Company's jurisdiction of incorporation or of a jurisdiction in which its securities are traded. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Disclosure of "contained ounces" is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.