The US Department of Energy has placed South Korea on a watchlist due to incidents of mishandling sensitive information by visitors to its laboratories, according to Joseph Yun, the acting US ambassador.
This designation ranks South Korea among countries such as China, Iran, Israel, Russia, Taiwan, and North Korea, generating significant debate and controversy in Seoul, where officials reported they had not been informed by Washington about the classification.
“South Korea was put on this list because there was some mishandling of sensitive information,” Yun stated during remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. While he did not provide specific details, he noted that over 2,000 South Korean students, researchers, and government officials visited US labs last year.
Yun clarified that the designation pertains only to the Department of Energy’s facilities and does not impact broader cooperation between the two allies. “It is not a big deal,” he remarked, citing that the incidents arose due to the high number of South Koreans visiting.
The US Department of Energy confirmed the designation was made in January but did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.
In response, South Korean officials planned to brief acting President Choi Sang-mok on their course of action, while Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is expected to request the removal of South Korea from the list during an upcoming visit to the United States.
A previous report from the US Department of Energy indicated that a contractor was terminated for attempting to board a flight to South Korea carrying “proprietary nuclear reactor design software” from the Idaho National Laboratory. This individual was reportedly under investigation by US law enforcement and had been in contact with an unnamed foreign government, though it was unclear if this incident influenced the recent designation.
The decision to classify South Korea as a “sensitive” country was made by the previous Biden administration, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Energy. This move coincides with increasing discussions among South Korean officials about potentially pursuing their own nuclear weapons, following a controversial martial law declaration in December that resulted in a leadership crisis.
On Monday, however, the South Korean foreign ministry indicated that the Department of Energy’s decision related to “security-related matters” associated with a research center rather than South Korea’s foreign policy.
The spokesperson from the DOE mentioned that the designation, set to take effect in April, would not impose new restrictions but would require internal reviews prior to cooperation or visits to the listed countries.
Additionally, Yun urged South Korea to contribute to reducing the US trade deficit, which has more than doubled since the first Trump administration, highlighting the need for South Korea to eliminate barriers in agriculture, digital, and service sectors.
Credit: CNN
