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U.S. looks forward to 'continued,' 'robust' cooperation with South Korea on scientific research

Published: 20 Mar. 2025, 10:58

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C., United States, March 6. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The United States looks forward to "continued" and "robust" scientific research cooperation with South Korea, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday, amid concerns that the Asian ally's placement on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s "sensitive country" list could hamper bilateral collaboration.

Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, made the remarks as the DOE confirmed last week that the preceding Biden administration added South Korea to the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List" in early January — a list that includes North Korea, China and Russia.

"I have to refer you to the Department of Energy... That's the Department of Energy designation," she told a press briefing.

"And also, obviously, I'll reiterate that we, the United States, greatly values the close relationship we have with the Republic of Korea on scientific research collaboration, and we look forward to continued, robust cooperation," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

The designation is set to take effect April 15. The list involves a group of countries subject to stricter scrutiny when access is requested to DOE research institutions or other facilities for technology cooperation or other purposes.

On Tuesday, acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun said that South Korea's designation was due to "mishandling of sensitive information" during exchanges between science research institutions, while calling it "not a big deal."

The designation has recently made headlines in most South Korean newspapers, with many Koreans apparently viewing the listing of their country alongside North Korea, China and Russia as a matter of trust in the longstanding alliance with the U.S.

Meanwhile, Bruce commented on military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, portraying it as a "perfect" example of how third countries, namely North Korea, have "perpetuated" the war in Ukraine.

"This is a dynamic that other countries are involved in, and certainly, very specifically the DPRK, and they bear responsibility for the nature of what's going on," she said. DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We continue to be concerned about their direct involvement in the war, their military deployment to Russia, and any support provided by the Russian Federation to North Korea in return also must end."

Yonhap