South Korean government explains that US designation of sensitive countries is not a foreign policy issue

On the 17th, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the US Department of Energy's (DOE) inclusion of South Korea on the sensitive countries list was "not a foreign policy issue, but a security issue regarding the Department of Energy's laboratories."
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the results of its contact with the U.S. side in a notice sent to reporters on the same day, saying, "Even if the item is included on this list, the U.S. side will not accept any changes to the Korea-U.S.
The U.S. side confirmed that there will be no significant impact on technical cooperation, including joint research between the two countries. The U.S. side confirmed that South Korean researchers must adhere to security regulations when traveling to DOE laboratories or conducting joint research.
The DOE reportedly explained that South Korea was included on the list after a number of violations of the rules were discovered.
In response to a question from a group of domestic reporters, the official said that the country had been classified as a member of the Special Designated Countries List (SCL).
The designation of India as a sensitive country was announced in early January under the Idden administration. The specific circumstances surrounding its designation as such were not known until recently.
In South Korea, the decision was reported by Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
The background to the incident includes the nuclear power technology dispute between the US nuclear power company Westinghouse and the growing domestic demand for nuclear armament, the martial law situation on December 3rd, and impeachment politics, but in reality it is a technical issue.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "There is a precedent in the past where South Korea was included on the DOE's sensitive countries list and then removed through discussions with the US."
According to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), South Korea was on the DOE's sensitive countries list in the 1980s and 1990s, but 1
Following a request for correction from the Korean side at the first U.S.-Korea Joint Committee on Science and Technology in 1993 and changes in the domestic and international situation, the ban was lifted in July 1994.
The South Korean government plans to hold talks with the U.S. side to have the list revoked this time as well.
However, there is only a limited time until the agreement comes into effect on the 15th of next month, so the possibility of it coming to fruition is unclear. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The government has been working closely with the U.S. government to avoid any negative impact on science, technology and energy cooperation between South Korea and the United States.
"We are actively discussing this with the relevant agencies and plan to continue our efforts to resolve the issue."