Designated as SCL During the Previous Biden Administration
U.S.: "This Does Not Mean a Hostile Relationship with the United States"
The U.S. government has confirmed that it added South Korea to the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List (SCL)" in January of this year.
Yonhap News quoted a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), reporting on the 15th that the Trump administration, just before taking office earlier this year, added South Korea to the lowest category of the SCL, the "Other Designated Country," during the previous Biden administration.
The sensitive countries managed by the Office of Counterintelligence (OICI) under the DOE are a list of countries requiring special consideration for policy reasons. Countries can be included on the sensitive country list due to national security, nuclear non-proliferation, regional instability, economic security threats, or support for terrorism.
Researchers from sensitive countries must undergo stricter certification procedures to work or participate in related research at DOE facilities or research institutions.
The DOE did not explain why South Korea was added to the list just before the end of the Biden administration's term. However, it emphasized that "being included on the list does not necessarily mean having a hostile relationship with the United States," and that "there are currently no new restrictions on bilateral science and technology cooperation with South Korea."
In fact, the list is known to include U.S. allies such as Israel, India, and Taiwan.
The DOE added, "Being included as a sensitive country does not prohibit Americans or DOE employees from visiting or conducting business in that country," and "similarly, nationals of that country are not prohibited from visiting the DOE."
Since South Korea is in the lowest category of the SCL, restrictions are expected to be less stringent than those for existing sensitive countries such as China, Russia, and North Korea. However, as the DOE stated that "visits and cooperation between both sides undergo prior internal review," some level of restriction is anticipated.
Regarding this, a diplomatic source told Yonhap News, "It is true that South Korea was added to the list during the Biden administration, and before it took effect on April 15, South Korean diplomatic authorities are understood to be consulting with the U.S. side to rectify South Korea's inclusion on the list."
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