South Korea calls to avoid impact on US cooperation after ‘sensitive’ country designation

SEOUL - South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok called on March 17 to avoid any negative impact on science, technology and energy cooperation with the United States, after the US Department of Energy (DOE)

designated South Korea as a “sensitive” country.

The US department has not explained why South Korea was added to the list, which can cause curbs on cooperation, though a DOE spokesperson said Seoul faced no new limits on bilateral cooperation in science and technology from the designation.

In a statement relayed by the Finance Ministry after a ministerial meeting, Mr Choi called on South Korean agencies to actively foster understanding with Washington, and for the Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun to meet the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week.

Despite the DOE assurances over bilateral cooperation not being impacted, politicians in Seoul have traded blame over the sensitive country designation.

The main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on March 17 criticised the current South Korean government, calling the US move a “perfect diplomatic failure”, which is feared could limit cooperation between the countries in the high-tech field.

Ruling party lawmaker Kwon Young-se, however, criticised the Democratic Party which controls Parliament, for pushing anti-US sentiment and excessively impeaching government officials including President Yoon Suk Yeol, a move that Mr Kwon said was the biggest cause of the sensitive country designation.

According to the DOE website, countries may appear on the sensitive country list for reasons such as national security, nuclear non-proliferation, regional instability, threats to national economic security, or terrorism support. REUTERS