Multiple breaches at U.S. Department of Energy research labs linked to Korea: Report

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Multiple breaches at U.S. Department of Energy research labs linked to Korea: Report

Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 15:49 Updated: 19 Mar. 2025, 17:59

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The Department of Energy headquarters in Washington [UPI/YONHAP]

Multiple security breaches linked to Korea were found at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-affiliated research laboratories, a report said Wednesday, after Washington confirmed with Seoul that the DOE's decision to designate Korea as a “sensitive country” stems from security concerns.

“There is a DOE report submitted to Congress last year, publicly available, which states that an attempt to export reactor design information to Korea was detected,” a source familiar with the matter told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Tuesday. “However, at least one additional incident involved an even more serious security violation, classified at a level too sensitive to disclose.”

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT told the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday that the government is actively investigating any additional security violations that may have contributed to Korea’s designation.

“We are making every effort to identify security breaches at a government level,” the official said. “There may be speculation from outside about security lapses occurring in joint research between DOE research facilities and labs under the Science Ministry, but we have yet to confirm any such cases.”

The DOE put Korea in the "Other Designated Country" category, the lowest tier within the sensitive country list, in early January. It will go into effect from April 15.

According to the DOE Office of Inspector General report, an employee of a subcontractor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was caught attempting to board a flight to Korea while in possession of proprietary nuclear reactor design software. The software contained export-controlled patented information. The incident was recorded in the DOE’s semiannual report covering the period from October 2023 to March 2024, which was submitted to Congress in May 2024.

Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that Korea’s inclusion on the DOE’s "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List” was due to security concerns at DOE research facilities rather than foreign policy considerations.

While Seoul did not explicitly state the security concern, government officials acknowledge that the nuclear reactor design leak case likely influenced the decision.

However, the latest revelations suggest that additional security violations — some deemed more severe — were also identified.

Yet the specific details remain classified.

With the sensitive country designation set to take effect on April 15, the Korean government is rushing to assess past security-related incidents and prepare a response.

Prof. Lee Byong-chul of Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies said that Washington would likely demand a full explanation of the security breaches, punishment for those responsible and preventive measures.

“This situation gives the Trump administration a new leverage point over Korea,” Lee warned. “Korea is now in a highly defensive position.”

Since learning about the designation, Korea’s Foreign Ministry has been coordinating with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to identify potential security-related incidents at DOE research facilities.

The Korean government only became aware of its sensitive country designation two months after it was made following a report in the Hankyoreh, a local newspaper. This raised concerns about a breakdown in information-sharing between government agencies as well as between the allied nations of Seoul and Washington.

“The U.S. typically prepares these sanction lists at least six months in advance, meaning Korea missed an opportunity to intervene early,” said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University.

“The failure of intelligence, diplomatic and trade officials to anticipate and respond to the situation is deeply concerning,” Park added.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a plenary session of the legislation and judiciary committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 19. [LIM HYEONG-DONG]

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul reaffirmed Wednesday that the United States confirmed Korea's inclusion on the sensitive country list was "not related" to political factors such as growing calls for Korea's own nuclear armament or the opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's alleged pro-China leanings.

"Washington explicitly confirmed that this is a matter of security," Cho said during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. "The best course of action is to address the issue based on this explanation."

However, he added that the United States has not disclosed specific security violations that led to Korea's placement on the list.

Korea is actively engaging with Washington to resolve the issue, Cho said, emphasizing that the government’s official position is not to pursue nuclear armament but "to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence."

Addressing concerns over why Korea was unaware of its designation until two months after the decision, Cho responded, “It was not just us — many DOE employees were also unaware of the designation and only a limited number of officials have knowledge of it."

"As it is an internal document, it is understandable that we did not know [earlier,]" Cho added.

Update, March 19: Added Korean Foreign Minister's remarks related to Korea's designation as a "sensitive country" during a parliamentary session on Wednesday.

BY YOO JEE-HYE, CHUNG YEONG-KYO, KANG KWANG-WOO, SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]