Seoul: Acting President Choi Sang-mok will hold a meeting with vice ministers from the foreign, industry, and science ministries on Tuesday to deliberate on responses to South Korea’s recent addition to the U.S. Department of Energy’s “sensitive and other designated countries list” (SCL), as announced by officials. The meeting aims to explore strategies to remove South Korea from this list and maintain the nation’s strong bilateral ties with the United States.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi will receive briefings from senior officials of the three ministries and related government agencies on measures to ensure a smooth resolution. The inclusion of South Korea on the DOE list has raised concerns about the country’s alliance with Washington, especially with regard to nuclear cooperation and advanced technology sectors amid the political uncertainty following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
During the meeting, Choi is expected to emphasize the importance of preventing any adverse effects on the bilateral cooperation in science, technology, and energy sectors with the U.S. The South Korean foreign ministry clarified on Monday that the SCL designation was due to security issues involving DOE-affiliated research institutions, not a broader foreign policy decision.
U.S. officials have reportedly attributed the inclusion to security regulation violations by South Korean researchers during visits to DOE laboratories or joint research projects. However, specific details regarding these incidents have not been disclosed by the DOE.
The SCL is a list of countries subject to heightened scrutiny when requesting access to DOE research institutions or facilities for technology cooperation. It includes nations such as North Korea, Russia, and China.
Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is scheduled to visit Washington this week for discussions with Energy Secretary Chris Wright. This trip, initially focused on energy and nuclear cooperation concerning U.S. reciprocal tariffs, will now prioritize reversing the SCL designation before its implementation on April 15.
South Korea is actively seeking clarification from the U.S. regarding the rationale behind the SCL designation. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT is investigating whether any government-funded research institutions involved with DOE-affiliated institutes have been implicated in security-related incidents, though no such cases have been identified so far.
A DOE report submitted to the U.S. Congress on Monday revealed that a DOE laboratory contractor employee was dismissed after attempting to travel to South Korea with export-controlled information related to nuclear reactor design software.