Seoul: The United States has included South Korea in the lowest tier of its "sensitive" country list due to security concerns linked to government-affiliated research institutes, as confirmed by Seoul's foreign ministry on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry issued a clarification after discussions with U.S. officials, following the Department of Energy's announcement that South Korea was placed in the lowest category of its "sensitive and other designated countries list" in early January under the previous Joe Biden administration.
The foreign ministry highlighted that the designation was due to security concerns related to research institutes affiliated with the Department of Energy, rather than diplomatic policy issues. It reassured that the listing would have minimal impact on bilateral technology cooperation, including joint research between South Korea and the U.S.
The decision to place South Korea on the monitoring list followed incidents where some South Korean researchers violated security regulations during visits or joint research at DOE-affiliated institutes. In response, the Seoul government is committed to engaging diplomatically with the U.S. to have South Korea removed from the list before it becomes effective on April 15.
The ministry emphasized ongoing consultations with relevant U.S. agencies to ensure that South Korea-U.S. cooperation in science, technology, and energy remains unaffected and to resolve the issue promptly.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office report reviewed by Yonhap News Agency noted that South Korea had been on the DOE's sensitive country list in the 1980s and 1990s. The designation was lifted in July 1994 after Seoul's request for removal during the first South Korea-U.S. Joint Committee on Science and Technology, reflecting changes in the domestic and international environment.