By The Straits Times | Created at 2025-03-21 09:28:17 | Updated at 2025-04-05 05:07:09
2 weeks ago
SEOUL - South Korea and the US have agreed to work together to swiftly resolve any fallout from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) designation of South Korea as a “sensitive country,” the Industry Ministry in Seoul said on March 21.
The DOE has not explained why it put its Asian ally on the watchlist, which also includes China, Iran, Russia and North Korea, but the South Korean government has faced criticism for apparently only recently becoming aware of the move that was carried out in January.
South Korea’s Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is visiting Washington DC for the second time in a month, as concerns also mount over US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on a swath of trading partners and sectors.
“Our concern over the inclusion on the list of ‘Sensitive and Other Designated Countries’ was explained and South Korea and the US agreed to cooperate to swiftly resolve the issue under procedures provided,” the Industry Ministry said.
Mr Ahn met US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on March 20 to convey the view, and the pair also discussed cooperation in the energy field, it said in a statement.
Mr Joseph Yun, the acting US ambassador in Seoul, said on March 18 that South Korea was added to the list because visitors to the DOE’s labs mishandled sensitive information.
He did not elaborate, but said the designation would not have wider implications for cooperation between the allies.
The DOE said there were no restrictions on bilateral and technological cooperation between the two countries.
The inclusion on the watchlist has fuelled further debate in South Korea on the prospect of pursuing its own nuclear armament, amid fears over rival North Korea’s accelerating efforts to build more nuclear weapons. REUTERS
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