Unexpected US blow to South Korea

In a written response to questions from Reuters, the US Department of Energy said that former President Joe Biden placed South Korea at the lowest level of the list of sensitive countries in January, shortly before the end of his administration.

The department did not explain why the US Asian ally was added to the list and did not say whether US President Donald Trump was willing to reverse the decision. The spokesman said that Seoul does not face any new restrictions on bilateral cooperation in science and technology.

Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a diplomatic source, that Seoul is in talks with Washington to resolve the issue before the measure takes effect on April 15.

According to a document published on the U.S. Department of Energy’s website in 2017, the list of sensitive countries includes China, Taiwan, Israel, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The sensitive countries list is defined by the U.S. Department of Energy as those that have been given special consideration for political reasons during the department’s internal review and approval process for foreign nationals. Countries may be included on the list for reasons of national security, nonproliferation or support for terrorism.

Amid concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and fears that the alliance with the United States could be undermined, former South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Seok-yol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun were among the South Korean officials who outlined the prospect of Seoul’s need for nuclear weapons.