South Korea says it agreed with US to swiftly resolve 'sensitive country' status

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States have agreed to work together to swiftly resolve any fallout from the U.S. Department of Energy's designation of South Korea as a "sensitive country," the industry ministry in Seoul said on Friday.

The DOE has not explained why it put its Asian ally on the watchlist, which also includes China, Iran, Russia and North Korea, but the South Korean government has faced criticism for apparently only recently becoming aware of the move that was carried out in January.

South Korea's Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is visiting Washington, D.C. for the second time in a month as concerns also mount over U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on a swath of trading partners and sectors.

"Our concern over the inclusion on the list of 'Sensitive and Other Designated Countries' was explained and South Korea and the U.S. agreed to cooperate to swiftly resolve the issue under procedures provided," the industry ministry said.

Ahn met U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Thursday to convey the view and the pair also discussed cooperation in the energy field, it said in a statement.

Joseph Yun, the acting U.S. ambassador in Seoul, said on Tuesday that South Korea was added on the list because visitors to the DOE's labs mishandled sensitive information.

He did not elaborate but said the designation would not have wider implications for cooperation between the allies. The DOE said there were no restrictions on bilateral and technological cooperation between the two countries.

The inclusion on the watchlist has fuelled further debate in South Korea on the prospect of pursuing its own nuclear armament amid fears over rival North Korea's accelerating efforts to build more nuclear weapons.

(Reporting by Jack Kim and Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies)