Abstract: As an important secondary resource of the iron and steel industry, blast furnace smelting dust is rich in valuable metals such as zinc and also contains potentially toxic elements. Its efficient and clean recycling is economically valuable and contributes to environmental protection. Hydrometallurgy has become a research hotspot in the field of dust recycling due to its operational flexibility, high selectivity, low energy consumption, and environmental compatibility. This paper reviews the research progress in zinc leaching technology, systematically analyzes the process characteristics and main bottlenecks of acid, alkaline, and ammonia leaching methods, discusses the innovative approaches such as physical field enhancement and process coupling, and anticipates future directions for technology development. The results show that the efficiency of acid leaching of zinc can reach 80% − 95%, but it has poor adaptability to highly alkaline and silica-alumina-rich materials, and is often accompanied by the co-solubilization of impurities such as Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺, which increase the difficulty of subsequent purification. The alkali method exhibits excellent selectivity for zinc oxide. However, its leaching rate stability is system-dependent, and its capacity for amphoteric metals is limited. Additionally, equipment corrosion remains a challenge. The ammonia method achieves high selectivity through the formation of zinc-ammonia complexes, with a leaching rate of 85% − 92%, and the dissolution rate of impurity elements such as Fe and Al is below 5%. However, challenges related to ammonia evaporation loss and the complexity of its recycling and reuse limit its application prospects. In recent years, physical field enhancement technologies (e.g., ultrasonic, microwave, and electric fields) have effectively improved zinc leaching efficiency by modulating reaction kinetics and optimizing mineral phase transformations. For example, ultrasonic cavitation enhances interfacial mass transfer through mechanical vibration and cavitation effects, significantly shortening the reaction time. The magnetic field promotes the transformation of ferromagnetic mineral phases, enhancing the selective release of valuable metals. The electric field guides electron migration, enabling the preferential dissolution of specific metals. In addition, the combined use of innovative processes such as multi-stage countercurrent leaching and ionic liquid extraction has enhanced both the recovery rate and purity of zinc. However, technical challenges remain, such as the complex chemical speciation of zinc in dust (e.g., iron zincate, zinc silicate) and the need for optimizing system energy efficiency. In the future, efforts should integrate the design of mineral phase reconstruction with the development of green leaching agents. A closed-loop recycling process should be established, along with the construction of a multi-technology synergy and intelligent control system. These efforts aim to achieve high efficiency, low carbon emissions, and economic upgrading of hydrometallurgy, while promoting the resource utilization and sustainable development of metallurgical solid waste. Ultimately, this will help achieve the synergistic goals of minimization, resource recovery, and harmlessness.