The US suddenly put an Asian ally on the list of "sensitive countries", Seoul reacted immediately.

The US Department of Energy confirmed that it placed South Korea on the lowest tier of its "sensitive and other designated countries list" in early January under the administration of President Joe Biden.

South Korea was added to the US Department of Energy's "sensitive country" list just before President Joe Biden left the White House. (Source: Reuters)

On March 15, South Korea's ruling People's Power Party (PPP) expressed "deep regret" over the US Department of Energy's (DOE) designation of the country as a "sensitive country" and pledged a comprehensive response.

The US Department of Energy's list of "sensitive countries" includes China, Israel, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The US Department of Energy confirmed that it placed South Korea on the lowest tier of its "sensitive and other designated countries list" in early January under the Joe Biden administration, shortly before President Donald Trump took office.

If the addition takes effect on April 15 as scheduled, South Korea may find it more difficult to participate in US research on advanced technologies such as nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

“We express deep regret that this may undermine trust in the South Korea-US alliance,” PPP spokesman Kim Dai-sik said in a statement. “There are serious concerns that this latest measure may create unnecessary constraints on cooperation on future strategic technologies, including not only nuclear energy but also artificial intelligence.”

Any administrative measures taken without strategic assessment should not cause any confusion in South Korea-US cooperation, Kim said, calling on the government to make all-out diplomatic efforts to counter them.

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