The US Department of Energy’s designation of South Korea as a “sensitive country” has yet to be finalized, though South Korea is aware of the move and has requested a full explanation from the department, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Tuesday.
Cho's comments came a day after an exclusive report by the left-leaning South Korean daily Hankyoreh that the Department of Energy had decided to designate South Korea as a sensitive country from April 15 and had begun administrative preparations to do so, including advance notifications to its national laboratories.
A sensitive country could face limitations on scientific and technological collaboration with the US, restricted access to DOE national laboratories, and additional screening and restrictions when seeking access to DOE facilities, programs, information, and technologies, according to the DOE directive. The DOE is a key US federal agency responsible for energy policy, scientific research, nuclear security and national security programs.
“It’s correct to say that it has not been finalized yet,” Cho told lawmakers during a briefing at the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, adding that the South Korean government was aware of the move before the media report. “According to confirmation from the US Embassy in South Korea, nothing has been finalized yet,” he said.
Cho said South Korea was not informed of the situation through official channels from the US side in advance. Instead the country learned about it through unofficial channels without sharing further details on what those unofficial channels were.
Cho further explained that South Korea then raised the issue with the US, prompting the Energy Department to conduct an internal examination to find out what exactly happened. The department indicated it would contact South Korea when its internal assessment is completed.
According to the Energy Department’s official website, “A list of countries to which particular consideration is given for policy reasons during the DOE internal review and approval process for access by foreign nationals.”
The department further explained the rationale behind the designation, stating that “countries may appear on the list for national security, nuclear nonproliferation, or terrorism support reasons.”
When asked whether the domestic debate in South Korea over pursuing independent nuclear armament was a key factor in the designation, Cho replied, “It is understandable why such speculation is emerging; however, it is necessary to determine first if this is the sole reason."
"Given the lack of transparency in the internal circumstances, we cannot rule out the possibility that this could be an isolated incident less serious than we think," Cho said.
"For now, I do not intend to prejudge. After the situation is clear, we will respond effectively based on a thorough review of the causes and background."
The current list of sensitive countries includes China, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and others.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
