Minister Ahn Duck-geun requested the United States on the 20th (local time) to remove South Korea from the 'sensitive country' list, stating that if this is not possible, constructive alternatives will be created.
Minister Ahn met with Korean reporters on his way to Washington Dulles International Airport for a business trip to the U.S. and said, "This afternoon, I will confirm exactly what issues there are regarding the reasons and procedures related to the sensitive country designation and negotiate towards deleting South Korea from the sensitive country list as much as possible." Minister Ahn visited the U.S. again three weeks after his visit at the end of last month.
Minister Ahn stated, "If South Korea is not removed from the sensitive country list, we plan to create constructive alternatives and find the best measures to ensure that there are no obstacles to Korea-U.S. science and technology cooperation and industrial collaboration."
He mentioned regarding the possibility of lifting the sensitive country listing on South Korea before it takes effect on the 15th of next month, "I think we need to meet and grasp the exact situation." In response to a question regarding the U.S. response to the South Korean government's position that South Korea should be removed from the sensitive country list, he replied, "For now, our position has been communicated, and regarding the response, I think we need to have a discussion during this meeting."
There were claims in the domestic political arena that South Korea's independent nuclear armament theory and others may have influenced the recent sensitive country designation. Minister Ahn remarked on this, saying, "The official explanation from the U.S. states that it has nothing to do with such matters."
Regarding the U.S. government of Donald Trump announcing mutual tariffs on the 2nd of next month, when asked about the possibility of a preemptive response from the South Korean government, Minister Ahn stated, "Since the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S., there are virtually no tariffs between the two countries. However, there are several non-tariff issues being raised, and we are currently working swiftly to resolve these domestically."
He added, "During this visit to the U.S., we are in the process of explaining such matters and communicating how we plan to address any concerns raised by the U.S."
He addressed whether South Korea is included in the so-called 'Dirty 15,' which has been identified as the main target of mutual tariffs, saying, "This is not a situation where we can make predictions." He continued, "We are currently continuing consultations and need to establish a framework to minimize the negative impact on South Korea's industry."
When asked whether the goal of the government is to exempt South Korea from mutual tariffs, he explained, "Looking at the tariff measures of the Trump administration, there are very few instances of exceptions or deferments for specific countries," adding, "Basically, they are implementing measures first and then sending a message that modifications can happen gradually based on the future situation."
He elaborated, "We are continually communicating and negotiating about explaining these aspects to make efforts to utilize them in the future when we can exclude such matters from the tariffs. This is not a matter of making a one-time decision; rather, it is a process of continually shaping the trade framework between the two countries throughout the Trump administration's term."
Minister Ahn commented on Korea-U.S. energy cooperation, stating, "There are many areas where we can strengthen energy cooperation with the U.S. from the perspective of energy security through diversification of imports." He added, "This time, I plan to meet with the Energy Minister to discuss specific collaborative issues."
Minister Ahn is scheduled to meet with Chris Wright, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, in the afternoon and with Howard Rutnik, the Secretary of Commerce, on the 21st. Minister Ahn's visit to the U.S. occurred after the U.S. Department of Energy officially confirmed last January that South Korea was added to the sensitive country list.