U.S. deputy ambassador clarifies sensitive country designation as research issue only

Joseph Yun, the deputy ambassador to South Korea, said on the 18th, 'The designation of South Korea as a sensitive country by the United States is solely due to security issues at a research institute under the Department of Energy,' and noted that there is no need to interpret it overly politically.

During a special meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, the deputy ambassador said, 'There is no need to ascribe excessive political or policy significance to the designation of South Korea as a sensitive country,' adding, 'It’s regrettable that it has become a situation that appears to be out of control as if it were a big issue.' He also remarked, 'It is not a big deal.'

The deputy ambassador stated, 'The U.S. Department of Energy has multiple Research Institutes, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory,' and explained that 'these institutes contain sensitive technologies and materials, and more than 2,000 Korean students and researchers visited last year.' He continued, 'Some security management issues arose during this process, and as a result, South Korea was included on that list.'

The deputy ambassador noted, 'While some Korean media and experts interpret this as a policy decision by the U.S. government, this is not the case,' and added, 'This action is an internal adjustment for security measures at research institutes in the United States and does not affect cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in fields including artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology.'

He remarked, 'In January, when South Korea and the U.S. established cooperation on AI, South Korea was designated as a 'Tier 1' country,' stating, 'This is evidence of how importantly the United States regards its cooperation with South Korea.'