The Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18. UPI-Yonhap

The previous Biden administration put South Korea in the "lowest" category of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) "sensitive and other designated countries list (SCL)" in early January, and no new restrictions on the Asian ally have since been added, the department's spokesperson said Friday.

The spokesperson made the remarks amid concerns that if the addition goes into effect on April 15, it will make it harder for South Korea to join U.S. research on advanced technologies, such as atomic energy, artificial intelligence or quantum technology.

The move to designate South Korea caused consternation in Seoul as the Asian ally has been seeking deeper cooperation with the United States in nuclear energy and other sectors. It came amid apparent concerns in Washington about public calls for Seoul to consider securing its own nuclear program to counter growing North Korean threats.

"The prior administration added the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the lowest category (Other Designated Country) of the SCL in early January 2025," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea

"Currently, there are no new restrictions on bilateral science and technology cooperation with the ROK. The Energy Department looks forward to collaborating with the ROK to advance our mutual interests."

The SCL refers to a group of countries to which "particular consideration is given for policy reasons during the DOE internal review and approval process for access by foreign nationals," according to the DOE website.

Countries may appear on the list for national security, nuclear nonproliferation, or terrorism support reasons, it said. The list includes North Korea, China and Russia.

It remains unclear why the Biden administration decided to place South Korea on the SCL.

Since late last year, South Korea has been in a period of political uncertainty caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his martial law bid in early December — a development that raised concerns over its potential negative impact on policy coordination between Seoul and Washington.

The DOE spokesperson pointed out that inclusion on the list "does not necessarily indicate an adversarial relationship with the United States."

"Many designated countries are those we regularly cooperate with on a variety of energy, science, technology, counterterrorism, and nonproliferation issues," the spokesperson said.

"Inclusion on the SCL also does not prohibit Americans or U.S. Department of Energy personnel from visiting or doing business with listed countries, just as it doesn't prevent these foreign nationals from visiting DOE sites."

The official went on to say, "The designation does not prohibit scientific or technical cooperation. These visits and cooperation undergo an internal review beforehand."

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, March 11. Yonhap

Seoul has been in consultations with Washington to prevent the official addition of South Korea to the SCL, according to a diplomatic source.

"It is correct that the preceding Biden administration put South Korea on the list," the source said. "I understand that (South Korean authorities) are in talks with the U.S. side to redress that before it goes into effect on April 15."

During a recent parliamentary session, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Seoul has raised the issue with the U.S. government.

"As far as I know, once the United States grasps the situation internally, they may come to us and discuss it," he said. (Yonhap)