South Korea has been informally told that the US Department of Energy (DOE) was considering categorizing it as a "sensitive country" and has since raised the issue with the department, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Tuesday.
Cho made the remarks during a parliamentary session amid signs that the DOE, which oversees energy and nuclear policies, is reviewing the possibility of placing South Korea on its sensitive country list.
If placed, researchers from countries on the list undergo more stringent scrutiny when joining research facilities or projects affiliated with the department, potentially making it harder for them to participate in US research on advanced technologies, such as atomic energy, artificial intelligence or quantum technology.
Cho said his ministry received an "unofficial tipoff" about the DOE's review of South Korea and is working to "grasp the situation" based on this information.
The DOE does not appear to have finalized South Korea's designation yet, the foreign minister also noted.
Based on the unofficial information it has, South Korea has raised an issue with the DOE, which is now looking into the matter again, according to Cho.
"As far as I know, once the United States grasps the situation internally, it may come to us and discuss it," he said.
Asked whether growing public calls for South Korea's nuclear armament may have influenced Washington's review, Cho acknowledged that such speculation exists.
"It is understandable that such a view is circulating as one possible explanation," he said. "However, we need to see whether it is the only factor. Since the internal circumstances remain unclear, we cannot rule out the possibility that this is a one-time occurrence caused by a less significant factor than we assumed."
Once more information becomes available, the government will conduct a thorough review of the situation and take necessary measures, he added.
herald@heraldcorp.com
