South Korea and U.S. to resolve sensitive status issue

South Korea and the United States recently agreed to address concerns related to South Korea being designated as a "sensitive country" by the U.S. Department of Energy. The announcement came from South Korea's Industry Ministry on March 21, 2025. The U.S. has not disclosed why South Korea was placed on this watchlist, which also includes China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. The South Korean government has faced criticism for learning about this designation only after it was made in January. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is currently visiting Washington, D.C., for the second time in a month. This visit comes amid worries about potential tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump may impose on various trading partners. Ahn met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on March 20. They discussed the concerns about the watchlist and emphasized that South Korea and the U.S. will work together to resolve the issue. Acting U.S. Ambassador Joseph Yun stated that South Korea's designation stemmed from mishandling of sensitive information at the DOE's labs. However, he assured that this would not impact overall cooperation between the two nations. Despite this assurance, the watchlist inclusion has sparked debate in South Korea regarding the possibility of developing its own nuclear weapons in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear programs.