(LEAD) Biden gov’t added S. Korea to lowest category of ‘sensitive country list,’ no new restrictions under Trump: Energy Dept.

(ATTN: ADDS more remarks, details in paras 3, 7-10)
By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Yonhap) — The previous Biden administration put South Korea in the “lowest” category of the U.S. Energy Department’s “sensitive and other designated countries list (SCL)” in early January, and no new restrictions on the Asian ally have since been added, the department’s spokesperson said Friday.

The spokesperson made the remarks amid concerns that if the addition goes into effect on April 15, it will make it harder for South Korea to join U.S. research on advanced technologies, such as atomic energy, artificial intelligence or quantum technology.

The move to add South Korea to the list caused consternation in Seoul as the Asian ally has been seeking deeper cooperation with the U.S. in nuclear energy and other technology sectors. It came amid apparent concerns in Washington about public calls for Seoul to consider securing its own nuclear program to counter growing North Korean threats.

“The prior administration added the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the lowest category (Other Designated Country) of the SCL in early January 2025,” the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. ROK is short for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea

“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.”

Seoul has been in consultations with Washington to prevent the official addition of South Korea to the SCL.

The department’s spokesperson said that it maintains an “extensive” SCL, while noting that inclusion on the list “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,” the spokesperson said.

“Inclusion on the SCL also does not prohibit Americans or U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) personnel from visiting or doing business with listed countries, just as it doesn’t prevent these foreign nationals from visiting DOE sites.”

The official went on to say, “The designation does not prohibit scientific or technical cooperation. These visits and cooperation undergo an internal review beforehand.”