Seoul: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) informed South Korea that it had placed Seoul on its "sensitive country" list as part of efforts to review technology security, prompted by the emergence of new scientific technologies, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul announced Monday. Cho made this statement during a parliamentary session, highlighting South Korea's diplomatic endeavors to overturn the DOE's January designation of South Korea in the "lowest" category of its "sensitive and other designated countries list."
According to Yonhap News Agency, the DOE clarified that the designation was part of its broader strategy to evaluate and enhance technology-related security in light of the evolving technology landscape. Foreign Minister Cho noted that South Korea has been classified in the lowest "third-grade" category on the DOE list, distinct from the first and second grades that concentrate on nonproliferation and counter-terrorism efforts.
The categorization has raised concerns in South Korea, potentially impacting Seoul's aspirations to strengthen nuclear energy and other collaborative sectors with Washington. Countries on the designated list face stricter scrutiny when seeking access to DOE research institutions and other facilities for technology cooperation.
The foreign minister conveyed that, based on his understanding, the DOE intended for the list to remain confidential, with only select officials involved in technology security being aware of it. He emphasized that South Korea's inclusion was due to security matters concerning research institutes under the DOE, rather than diplomatic policies.
Minister Cho further explained that South Koreans visiting 17 DOE-related institutes would undergo prior background checks. However, he reassured that this would not impose new restrictions on joint research projects or other technology collaborations between Seoul and Washington, as per the DOE's explanations.