Government: South Korea and US Agree to Cooperate for Swift Resolution of 'Sensitive Country' Issue

An Deokgeun and Chris Wright
Agree to Cooperate on "Sensitive Countries" Issue
Strengthening Korea-U.S. Energy Partnership

South Korea and the United States have agreed to cooperate to promptly resolve the issue of sensitive countries designated by the U.S. Department of Energy.

On the 20th (local time), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 21st that Minister An Deok-geun visited Washington DC and held his first meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright in the Department of Energy conference room, reaching this agreement.

During the meeting, both countries discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in various energy sectors, a key issue for the Trump administration.

Minister An conveyed South Korea's concerns regarding its designation as a sensitive country to the U.S. government, and the U.S. reportedly stated that it would cooperate to resolve the issue promptly in accordance with procedures.

Earlier, in January, the U.S. government included South Korea in the "Sensitive Countries List," which targets countries that may pose a threat to national security or have unstable situations. The designation will take effect on the 15th of next month. Once listed, the U.S. Department of Energy may restrict technology sharing related to national security, personnel exchanges, joint research, and project participation in research cooperation.

Minister An also agreed with Secretary Wright to strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy sectors including liquefied natural gas (LNG), power grids, hydrogen, and nuclear power such as small modular reactors (SMRs). To this end, they decided to regularize the 'Energy Policy Dialogue' and the 'Public-Private Joint Energy Forum' between the South Korean and U.S. governments.

Minister An said, "This visit to the U.S. resulted in confirming the will of both countries to resolve the sensitive country issue," adding, "It was an opportunity to strengthen the momentum of Korea-U.S. energy cooperation."

He also emphasized, "Through close consultations on energy policies emphasized by the Trump administration, we hope to discover opportunities to expand cooperative projects and investments between the two countries and jointly lead the global energy market."