On the 15th (local time), the U.S. Department of Energy placed South Korea on its Sensitive Countries List (SCL). South Korea became the 26th country to be included on the U.S. Department of Energy's Sensitive Countries List. The government stated that no major issues will arise immediately. However, there are concerns that South Korea's inclusion on the Sensitive Countries List could hinder cooperation in the science and technology sector.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and several government-funded research institutes on the 16th, South Korea will have to undergo stricter security procedures, including pre-verification of identities when visiting the Department of Energy and its 17 affiliated research institutes. Similarly, U.S. officials will also be subject to additional security procedures when visiting South Korea. This means that obstacles will arise for the researchers of both countries in their daily cooperation.
The government noted that it will do its best to get off the Sensitive Countries List as soon as possible. Since similar procedures for arranging lists and personnel in advance when visiting U.S. research institutions have been in place in the past, some reactions indicate that there will not be any major changes immediately. A representative from the Ministry of Science and ICT said, "There are concerns that some fields of research, such as spent nuclear fuel recycling, may face restrictions, but we understand that this is not the case." They added, "The U.S. Department of Energy also stated that there will be no changes in research collaboration with South Korea."
In fact, on the first day of the implementation of the Sensitive Countries List, several domestic research institutions announced plans to strengthen research cooperation with U.S. Department of Energy-affiliated labs. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for nuclear technology cooperation with the Argonne National Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy. Director Joo Han-kyu of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute personally visited the Argonne National Laboratory to discuss joint research on small modular reactors (SMR) and other topics.
The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy also held an expert meeting on Korea-U.S. fusion research cooperation this week in Daejeon, involving the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy. Attendees included Deputy Director Micky Wade from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Deputy Director Joe Snipes from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Director Oh Young-guk of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy stated, "During this meeting, specific cooperation tasks in preparation for fusion demonstration reactors were seriously discussed, and we aim to strengthen joint research and institutional connections to lead to substantial progress in fusion technology."
However, there are concerns that the prolonged inclusion on the Sensitive Countries List may hinder research collaboration. With the Trump administration's tariff policies and the confusion in local research fields in the U.S., there is speculation that the removal from the Sensitive Countries List may become less of a priority.
A representative from a government-funded research institute cooperating with the U.S. said, "I understand that the U.S. Department of Energy is experiencing significant confusion due to workforce reductions resulting from restructuring under the Trump administration," and noted, "Budget cuts for research and the tariff war are having a negative impact on the research community overall, raising concerns that the Sensitive Countries List issue may extend over a long period."
In reality, while the government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is working hard for the early removal from the Sensitive Countries List, it is difficult to gauge exactly when it will be possible.
Deputy Director Yoon Si-woo of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy said, "Even in inviting the deputy director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Korea this time, it took longer than before due to security regulations," adding, "At the institutional level, we plan to visit the U.S. Department of Energy around July or August to explain the situation and seek cooperation to ensure that there are no issues in research cooperation in the field of fusion."