Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said the U.S. Energy Department has included South Korea in the lowest category on its three-tier list of sensitive and other designated countries.

At a meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Monday, Cho said there is a fundamental difference between this category and the other two, which focus on nonproliferation or anti-terrorism.

The minister said the department told him that the latest decision to add South Korea to the list was part of its overall review and efforts to reinforce the security of its technology amid the changing landscape and the emergence of new technology.

The department said there will be no restrictions on the allies’ science and technology cooperation, but that researchers planning visits to any of its 17 affiliated institutes will be subject to review procedures, including verification of their identification.

Amid criticism that Seoul was unaware of the country’s presence on the list for nearly two months, Cho said the department manages the list without prior consultations with affected countries.