Oh Se-hoon on Designation as a 'Sensitive Country': "A Calm and Strategic Solution Is Needed"

Aiming at Lee Jaemyung
"Cooperation with the Government Is the Minimum Duty"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that "a calm and strategic diplomatic solution is needed rather than an emotional response" regarding the U.S. Department of Energy's designation of South Korea as a Sensitive Country List (SCL) nation.

On the 17th, Mayor Oh conveyed through Facebook that "the designation as a sensitive country should be approached within the broader context of competition and cooperation in the nuclear industry."

Yonhap News

Mayor Oh emphasized that other U.S. allies are also included in the sensitive country list. He said, "Countries designated as sensitive by the U.S. Department of Energy include India, Israel, and Taiwan as 'other designated countries,'" adding, "It is important to note that Israel, Taiwan, and India all maintain close cooperation with the United States."

He continued, "The inclusion of South Korea in the 'other' category alongside these countries suggests that the U.S. intends to continue cooperation with South Korea while maintaining some level of restraint in key industries. In particular, the nuclear industry is a representative field where South Korea and the U.S. cooperate yet compete. The rapid growth of South Korea's nuclear power technology, which has become influential enough to threaten the U.S. in the international bidding market, could be a background for this designation," he explained.

Furthermore, Mayor Oh stated, "Currently, South Korea and the U.S. are cooperating on the development and global deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), but there are many sensitive variables. For South Korea to lead the SMR industry, securing a stable HALEU supply chain is essential, and strategic negotiations with the U.S. are absolutely necessary. Therefore, accurately understanding the intent behind this sensitive country designation must come first."

Mayor Oh urged, "The government must immediately mobilize all diplomatic efforts to ensure South Korea is removed from the sensitive country list," and added, "Since the U.S. also requires SMR cooperation, strategic negotiations considering mutual benefits between South Korea and the U.S. should be conducted to maintain and develop South Korea's nuclear industry competitiveness."

He also criticized the Democratic Party of Korea for attributing the sensitive country designation to the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the ruling party's 'nuclear armament theory.' Mayor Oh said, "At such a critical time, Representative Lee Jae-myung is only making provocative remarks like 'Is this really a government?' and 'It is clear that Korea-U.S. cooperation in advanced industries will be restricted,'" adding, "Representative Lee’s party, which dominates as a 'unipolar ruler,' has effectively paralyzed government functions through impeachment motions. If so, the minimum duty is to cooperate so that the government can respond diplomatically."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.