South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is expected to visit the US later this week for talks on Washington’s classification of South Korea as a “sensitive country”, government sources said.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) placed South Korea in the “lowest” category of the “Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List” (SCL) in early January. This classification was made in the final weeks of former US President Joe Biden’s tenure and shortly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in December. However, the exact reasons behind this decision are not yet clear. Government sources said South Korea had held talks with the DOE and planned for Ahn to meet with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Washington later this week. “After reaching a mutual agreement, Ahn may visit the US this weekend. The agenda will include energy issues such as the Alaska gas project and nuclear energy cooperation,” a government official said. Sources said Ahn would discuss Washington’s rationale for classifying South Korea as a “sensitive country” and demand its removal from the list. Earlier, interim President Choi Sang-mok instructed the Industry Minister to meet with his US counterpart later this week for active consultations on the DOE list. Choi also instructed relevant government agencies to “actively explain” the situation to Washington so that South Korea-US science, technology and energy cooperation is not affected. Ahn’s planned visit to the US comes just three weeks after his visit to Washington in late February. During the February visit, Ahn had met with key US trade officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. However, he was unable to meet with Wright due to scheduling conflicts.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/03/120_394347.html
