Minister Yoo of the Ministry of Science and ICT noted regarding Korea's inclusion in the U.S. Department of Energy's sensitive countries list that "efforts should be made to lift it as soon as possible."
Minister Yoo attended a question-and-answer session with the government at the National Assembly on the 15th and stated, "In the past, there have also been experiences where designations were lifted a few months after being designated," adding that he would work towards a prompt lifting.
Regarding the reason for Korea's inclusion in the sensitive countries list, Minister Yoo said, "The exact cause has not been known until now, and the U.S. has not announced it yet," adding that "over the past decade, about 2,000 Koreans have entered research institutions in the U.S., including those under the U.S. Department of Energy."
He continued, "As highly skilled individuals from Korea have increased, it might have become a somewhat sensitive issue," and noted, "It seems that they designated it as a sensitive country from a research security perspective."
He mentioned that being included in the sensitive countries list could cause discomfort for domestic researchers. Minister Yoo explained, "When entering 17 research institutions under the U.S. Department of Energy, a permit must be obtained 45 days in advance," adding, "Although it is the lowest level among the three stages of sensitive countries, there is inconvenience in terms of restricted free access."