South Korea confirms U.S. 'sensitive' listing not due to foreign policy issues

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry clarified Monday that the United States added South Korea to its "sensitive" country list due to "security concerns" related to research labs under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The Department of Energy headquarters in Washington [UPI/YONHAP]

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry clarified Monday that the United States added South Korea to its "sensitive" country list due to "security concerns" related to research labs under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“The U.S. has clarified that this designation is not related to foreign policy but stems from security concerns involving DOE-affiliated research facilities,” the ministry said through a press statement late Monday.

Although Washington officially classified Seoul under the "Other Designated Country" category — the lowest tier within the list — in early January under the former Joe Biden administration, the South Korean government only learned of the designation after a local newspaper Hankyoreh revealed two months after the decision last week.

While officials struggled to determine the exact reasons behind the U.S. move for over a week, Monday’s statement marked the first official confirmation from Seoul.

Despite the listing, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the United States has assured South Korea that the designation "will not significantly impact" bilateral cooperation in joint research and technology development.

Seoul also pledged to work closely with Washington to prevent any negative effects on South Korea-U.S. collaboration in science, technology and energy sectors as well as to resolve the matter.

This is not the first time South Korea has appeared on the U.S. Sensitive Country List.

The DOE designated South Korea as a sensitive country in the 1980s and 1990s, only to later remove it. The reasons for those past designations remain unclear, but Seoul noted that there is a precedent for removal through "discussions."

The latest designation is set to take effect on April 15.

In response, acting President Choi Sang-mok directed relevant government agencies to "actively explain" South Korea’s position to U.S. counterparts.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]