Latest news with #SensitiveandOtherDesignatedCountriesList
Korea Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korean think tank calls for action on US R&D barriers
State-run STEPI advises establishing intelligence network with other countries The Science and Technology Policy Institute, a South Korean state-run think tank, has voiced concerns about the United States government's designation of South Korea on the list of sensitive countries hampering joint research between the two nations in the field of emerging technologies. The US Department of Energy previously decided to add South Korea to the lowest category of the Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List, or SCL, in January this year. Seoul's efforts to see Korea removed from the list before the addition became effective fell short, as the country was officially added to the SCL on April 15. The Energy Department's list of sensitive countries also includes China, India, Russia, Taiwan and North Korea. Noting the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan in December 2023, the STEPI's recently released report pointed out that the sensitive country designation could limit Korea's participation in the joint research and development activities in key technologies in the future. The report said the impact of the listing should be closely monitored as research cooperation on future nuclear technologies such as next-generation nuclear power plants and nuclear reprocessing is mostly carried out with institutes under the Department of Energy. The report added that normal activities, which deal with insensitive nuclear technologies, may require extra approval processes or restrictions under the department's 10 CFR Part 810. Despite the listing's unlikely impact on Korean exports to the US, the report underlined that it could be carefully reviewed as the department added export restriction bylaws when it updated its unclassified foreign national access program in 2022. The report called for a one-point strategy to solve the issue in the short term by focusing on the essence of the matter, which is the fact that Korea's R&D cooperation with the US is facing bumps, instead of making it seem as if there was a security issue between the two countries. The report also advised the Korean government to set up a ministry-by-ministry protocol to deal with similar issues in a better coordinated manner and establish an intelligence network with countries that are in a similar position as Korea.
Korea Herald
21-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Industry minister vows utmost efforts to remove S. Korea from DOE 'sensitive country' list
Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun pledged utmost efforts Thursday to remove South Korea from the US Department of Energy's "sensitive country" list, while noting Seoul's plan to seek a "constructive alternative" should the country's designation not be reversed. Ahn plans to meet Energy Secretary Chris Wright on the day to discuss South Korea's placement on the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List." He is also set to have talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over tariff issues on Friday. "Although we will engage in consultations in a direction toward the deletion (of South Korea) from the list as much as we can, but if that is not possible, we will seek to craft a constructive alternative," Ahn told reporters upon arrival at Dulles International Airport near Washington. "We will make our utmost efforts to find an optimal option to ensure that science, technology and industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States will not be hindered," he added. The DOE confirmed last week that the preceding Biden administration added South Korea to the SCL in early January -- a list that includes North Korea, China and Russia. The designation is set to take effect April 15. Officials of the designated countries are subject to stricter scrutiny when access is requested to DOE research institutions or other facilities for technology cooperation or other purposes. The designation has drawn keen media attention in Seoul as many Koreans apparently view the juxtaposition of their country alongside North Korea, China and Russia in the SCL as a matter of trust in the long-standing alliance with the US Asked if there is a chance that South Korea will be taken out from the list before April 15, Ahn said that he needs to examine exactly what is going on with regards to the list during planned talks with US officials. He also elaborated on what alternative Seoul is considering. "The US side is talking about procedural issues (regarding the listing)," he said. "We are trying to find an alternative that can make sure that those procedural matters would not become impediments (to bilateral cooperation) as much as possible." He pointed out the US government's position that there is no serious problem in bilateral science and technology cooperation. Another focus of his trip is on President Donald Trump's plan to roll out "reciprocal" tariffs on April 2, which will be customized on a country-by-country basis based on countries' tariff- and non-tariff barriers and other factors, including exchange rates. "There have been virtually no tariffs between the two countries under a bilateral free trade agreement. But there are various non-tariff issues being raised. Efforts are underway to swiftly address part of them domestically (in Korea)," he said. "During my visit this time, I will explain these matters, and we are in communication with them over with what plans we will resolve issues where the US has concerns." Asked whether South Korea is in the so-called Dirty-15 group of countries, Ahn refused to "prejudge." This week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned Dirty-15 countries with high tariffs on US goods, but he did not elaborate. "We have been consulting steadily. We are now in a situation where we need to craft a framework to minimize any negative impact on South Korean industrial sectors," he said. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Korea seeks to safeguard tech ties with US amid sensitive list concerns
Korea's shipbuilding, nuclear sectors closely monitor fallout from US designation The US government's decision to place South Korea on its list of sensitive countries has raised concerns that the designation could hamper Korea's chances of collaborating with the US in technological and industrial areas. Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im noted that the labeling could damage the trust between the two allies during a live TV show aired by broadcaster KBS on Sunday. 'The joint research projects (between Korea and the US) are not going to be scrapped but there could be various inconveniences such as having to file in reports 45 days in advance under the regulation,' he said, referring to the US Department of Energy's explanation that the visits by foreign nationals from listed countries to DOE sites and cooperation undergo an internal review beforehand. 'Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy will visit (the US soon). Minister of Foreign Affairs is expected to visit the US and I also have a similar plan.' An official at the Ministry of Science and ICT said Monday that the timing of Yoo's visit to the US has not been confirmed. 'What we have heard so far is that there are no problems to our science and technology cooperation and that (Korea and the US) will continue to push for science and technology cooperation in the future as well,' said the official. 'We are still trying to figure out the exact reason and background for the designation and what kind of limitations (the listing) would have. The (Korean) government is doing all it can to remove Korea from the sensitive countries list." The previous Biden administration added South Korea to the lowest category of the Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List, or SCL, in January this year. Referring to South Korea as the Republic of Korea, or ROK, the DOE said, 'Currently there are no new restrictions on bilateral science and technology cooperation with the ROK. The Energy Department looks forward to collaborating with the ROK to advance our mutual interests.' According to Korea's National Research Council of Science and Research, which governs the country's 23 state-funded research institutes, there were 67 joint research agreements between Korea and US organizations as of Tuesday. As Korea's designation on the DOE's list will take effect on April 15, Korea's research institutes said that there have not been any changes to the ongoing projects yet. An official at a government-backed research institute voiced worries over the potential implications of the designation. 'If (Korea) stays on the SCL, it could affect joint projects not only in the future but also right now,' said the official. 'Having to face adversities in co-working on advanced technologies such as (artificial intelligence) and quantum mechanics with the US would weaken our country's competitiveness on the international stage.' The DOE's list of sensitive countries includes China, India, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Iraq and Israel, with North Korea, Syria, Iran and Cuba being labeled as terrorists. Despite the negative connotation, the DOE told VOA that 'Inclusion does not necessarily indicate an adversarial relationship with the United States; many designated countries are those we regularly cooperate with on a variety of energy, science, technology, counterterrorism and nonproliferation issues.' Sources in the shipbuilding and energy fields, the areas that the Trump administration has publicly called for cooperation with Korean players, said they were closely monitoring the development of the designation. 'We are checking different aspects (of the listing) but there are no critical issues at the moment,' said an official working in the shipbuilding industry. 'Because we are in a situation where we have more advanced technologies in case of cooperation. … We are going to have to wait and see how things unfold.' An official working in the nuclear power sector pointed out that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will take the driver's seat in correcting the designation, saying that each industrial player cannot comment much about the issue at hand. 'In terms of nuclear energy, (Korea and the US) should work together as they need to exchange support like how they are in the shipbuilding industry,' said the official. 'Since we don't have how the (Energy Department) will handle the listing and to what extent it will have an impact, it will be difficult for us to make conclusive statements until there are official announcements.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US designated South Korea a 'sensitive' country amid talk of nuclear weapons
By Timothy Gardner, David Brunnstrom and Ju-min Park WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy has designated ally South Korea a "sensitive" country, a spokesperson said on Friday, after the South Korean president briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons. The administration of then-President Joe Biden put South Korea on the lowest tier of the Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List in January shortly before Biden left office, the DOE said in a written response to Reuters queries. The department did not explain why the Asian nation was added to the list and did not indicate that President Donald Trump was inclined to reverse the measure. The spokesperson said Seoul faces no new restrictions on bilateral cooperation in science and technology. South Korea's foreign ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday. Seoul is in talks with Washington to resolve the matter before the designation takes effect on April 15, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a diplomatic source it did not identify. The DOE list of sensitive countries includes China, Taiwan, Israel, Russia, Iran and North Korea, with Tehran and Pyongyang designated as terrorist, according to a 2017 document posted on the department's website. President Yoon Suk Yeol and then-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun are among the South Korean officials who raised the prospect that South Korea would be forced to pursue nuclear weapons amid fears over North Korea's accelerated nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and concerns about the strength of the alliance with the U.S., which provides a nuclear shield for South Korea. Yoon and Kim have been indicted on charges of insurrection over Yoon's six-hour declaration of martial law in December. Yoon was impeached and his presidential powers suspended while a court decides whether to remove him from office. Yoon backed off rhetoric about a nuclear weapons program after negotiating with Biden a 2023 agreement under which Washington is to give Seoul more insight into U.S. planning to deter and respond to a nuclear incident in the region. In return, Seoul renewed a pledge not to pursue a nuclear bomb of its own and said it would abide by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which it has signed. That, however, has not been enough to ease doubts over U.S. defense commitments that have fueled calls for a South Korean nuclear arsenal. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said last month that nuclear weapons were not "off the table", though it was premature to talk about such a plan. "Given that international situations are developing in unpredictable directions, this is a principled response that we must prepare for all possible scenarios," Cho told a parliamentary hearing. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the nonprofit Arms Control Association, said that in light of such "provocative" statements, South Korea is a proliferation risk and the DOE was prudent to put the country on its list. "Listing the ROK as a proliferation-sensitive country should rule out any chance of a South Korean request for U.S. approval to enrich uranium and reprocessing spent fuel... to produce nuclear weapons," Kimball said, citing the country's formal name, the Republic of Korea. The handling of the designation raised concerns in Seoul. Cho told parliament on Tuesday that his ministry had had no formal communication from the Biden administration and only heard about the possible designation from an informal tip-off. Countries may appear on Energy Department's list for reasons of national security, nuclear nonproliferation or support for terrorism, though inclusion does not necessarily indicate an adversarial relationship with the United States. "Currently there are no new restrictions on bilateral science and technology cooperation with the ROK," the DOE said. "The Energy Department looks forward to collaborating with the ROK to advance our mutual interests." Though the designation does not prohibit scientific or technical cooperation, visits to the listed countries and cooperation undergo an internal review beforehand, the department said.
Reuters
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US designated South Korea a 'sensitive' country amid talk of nuclear weapons
WASHINGTON/SEOUL, March 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy has designated ally South Korea a "sensitive" country, a spokesperson said on Friday, after the South Korean president briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons. The administration of then-President Joe Biden put South Korea on the lowest tier of the Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List in January shortly before Biden left office, the DOE said in a written response to Reuters queries. The department did not explain why the Asian nation was added to the list and did not indicate that President Donald Trump was inclined to reverse the measure. The spokesperson said Seoul faces no new restrictions on bilateral cooperation in science and technology. South Korea's foreign ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday. Seoul is in talks with Washington to resolve the matter before the designation takes effect on April 15, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a diplomatic source it did not identify. The DOE list of sensitive countries includes China, Taiwan, Israel, Russia, Iran and North Korea, with Tehran and Pyongyang designated as terrorist, according to a 2017 document posted on the department's website. President Yoon Suk Yeol and then-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun are among the South Korean officials who raised the prospect that South Korea would be forced to pursue nuclear weapons amid fears over North Korea's accelerated nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and concerns about the strength of the alliance with the U.S., which provides a nuclear shield for South Korea. Yoon and Kim have been indicted on charges of insurrection over Yoon's six-hour declaration of martial law in December. Yoon was impeached and his presidential powers suspended while a court decides whether to remove him from office. Yoon backed off rhetoric about a nuclear weapons program after negotiating with Biden a 2023 agreement under which Washington is to give Seoul more insight into U.S. planning to deter and respond to a nuclear incident in the region. In return, Seoul renewed a pledge not to pursue a nuclear bomb of its own and said it would abide by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which it has signed. That, however, has not been enough to ease doubts over U.S. defense commitments that have fueled calls for a South Korean nuclear arsenal. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said last month that nuclear weapons were not "off the table", though it was premature to talk about such a plan. "Given that international situations are developing in unpredictable directions, this is a principled response that we must prepare for all possible scenarios," Cho told a parliamentary hearing. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the nonprofit Arms Control Association, said that in light of such "provocative" statements, South Korea is a proliferation risk and the DOE was prudent to put the country on its list. "Listing the ROK as a proliferation-sensitive country should rule out any chance of a South Korean request for U.S. approval to enrich uranium and reprocessing spent fuel... to produce nuclear weapons," Kimball said, citing the country's formal name, the Republic of Korea. The handling of the designation raised concerns in Seoul. Cho told parliament on Tuesday that his ministry had had no formal communication from the Biden administration and only heard about the possible designation from an informal tip-off. Countries may appear on Energy Department's list for reasons of national security, nuclear nonproliferation or support for terrorism, though inclusion does not necessarily indicate an adversarial relationship with the United States. "Currently there are no new restrictions on bilateral science and technology cooperation with the ROK," the DOE said. "The Energy Department looks forward to collaborating with the ROK to advance our mutual interests." Though the designation does not prohibit scientific or technical cooperation, visits to the listed countries and cooperation undergo an internal review beforehand, the department said.
