Overview

• The U.S. Department of Energy's 'sensitive country' designation for South Korea will take effect on May 15, 2025, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts by Seoul to reverse it.
• South Korea has been placed in the lowest tier of the Sensitive Country List, with U.S. officials assuring that joint research and scientific cooperation will not face new restrictions.
• New procedural requirements, such as a 45-day advance document submission for South Korean researchers visiting U.S. laboratories, are expected to complicate collaboration.
• The U.S. has not disclosed specific reasons for the designation, fueling uncertainty and speculation about potential security concerns or past incidents.
• The move is part of a broader U.S. review of technology security policies, influenced by export control reforms initiated during the Trump administration.