Synopsis
On March 17, the US designated South Korea as a 'sensitive' country due to security issues with research institutes. The South Korean Foreign Ministry emphasized that this designation is linked to security concerns rather than diplomatic relations, and efforts are underway to mitigate its impact on bilateral cooperation.Key Takeaways
- South Korea is now on the US 'sensitive' list due to security concerns.
- This designation is linked to research institutes affiliated with the Department of Energy.
- US assures minimal impact on technology cooperation.
- South Korea aims to resolve this issue diplomatically before April 15.
- Previous inclusion on sensitive list occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.
Seoul, March 17 (NationPress) The United States has categorized South Korea within the lowest tier of its 'sensitive' country list, citing security concerns associated with government-affiliated research institutes, as stated by Seoul's Foreign Ministry on Monday.
This clarification follows dialogues with US officials, just days after the US Department of Energy acknowledged South Korea's inclusion in the lowest category of its 'sensitive and other designated countries list' in early January during the previous Biden administration.
The Foreign Ministry indicated that this US designation was primarily due to security concerns regarding research institutes tied to the Department of Energy, rather than stemming from any diplomatic policy issues.
Despite South Korea’s listing, the US has assured that it will have minimal effect on bilateral technology cooperation, including collaborative research efforts between South Korea and the US.
This situation arose after some South Korean researchers were reported to have breached security regulations during their visits or joint research activities at DOE-affiliated institutes.
The Seoul government is committed to engaging in diplomatic discussions with the US to have South Korea removed from this list before its enforcement on April 15, as per reports from Yonhap news agency.
The ministry stated, “The government is actively consulting with relevant US agencies to ensure that South Korea-US collaboration in science, technology, and energy remains unaffected, and will continue its efforts to resolve this issue.”
According to a report from the US Government Accountability Office reviewed by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea had previously been included on the DOE's sensitive country list during the 1980s and 1990s, with the designation being revoked in July 1994 following a request from Seoul during the inaugural South Korea-US Joint Committee on Science and Technology the year before, reflecting shifts in both the domestic and international landscape.
