On March 14 local time, a spokesperson for the US Department of Energy stated that the Biden administration placed South Korea in the "lowest" category of the US Department of Energy's "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List (SCL)" in early January this year. However, no new restrictive measures have been imposed on South Korea since then.
It is reported that if the US implements relevant measures as planned starting from April 15, cooperation between South Korea and the US in cutting - edge fields such as nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology will be restricted.
The US Department of Energy responded on the 14th, saying, "The previous administration placed South Korea in the lowest category (other designated countries) of the SCL in early January 2025. Currently, there are no new restrictions on the bilateral scientific and technological cooperation between the US and South Korea. The US Department of Energy looks forward to cooperating with South Korea to promote common interests."
It remains unclear why the Biden administration decided to place South Korea on the list of "sensitive countries".
Since the brief martial - law incident at the end of last year, South Korea has been in a period of political turmoil. Some public opinions believe that the development of relevant situations may have a negative impact on policy coordination between South Korea and the US.
Some analyses point out that the US government's move is to issue a warning against the so - called "independent nuclear armament theory" that has emerged in the South Korean political circle recently.
The spokesperson for the US Department of Energy explained that being on the list "does not necessarily indicate a hostile relationship with the US. Many countries on the list are those with which we often cooperate on various energy, science, technology, counter - terrorism, and non - proliferation issues."
The spokesperson also said, "This designation does not prohibit scientific or technological cooperation. All relevant visits and cooperation need to go through internal review in advance."
According to the official website of the US Department of Energy, "sensitive countries" are countries and regions that require special consideration for policy reasons. Based on factors such as national security, nuclear non - proliferation, regional instability, threats to economic security, or support for terrorism, specific countries and regions may be included in this list.
Researchers from "sensitive countries" need to go through a more rigorous certification process when working at or participating in research at relevant facilities or research institutions of the US Department of Energy. If the relevant measures are officially implemented, it will be more difficult for South Korean researchers to participate in cutting - edge research at US national research institutions and universities in the future.
The South Korean government seems to be caught off guard by this. The South Korean government is urgently trying to understand the situation through its embassy in the US.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae - yeong responded on the 11th, saying that the US list of "sensitive countries" does not seem to have been finalized yet. South Korea has made representations based on informal information, and the US is re - examining the situation.