The U.S. Department of Energy has designated ally South Korea a "sensitive" country, a spokesperson said on Friday, after the South Korean president briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons.

US-sensitive country WASHINGTON, March 14 (Yonhap) -- The placement of South Korea on the U.S. Department of Energy's "sensitive country" list might pose a tricky test to the bilateral alliance, experts said Friday,

South Korea's military on Thursday charged two air force pilots with criminal negligence over an accidental bombing of a village near the DMZ last week that injured 43 and damaged dozens of buildings,

South Korean fighter jets accidentally bombed homes during a live-fire drill with US forces, injuring more than two dozen people on Thursday, Seoul’s military said.

Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during training, injuring at least eight people, officials said.

Senior South Korean and US officials met in Washington to address trade issues including tariff measures, with both sides agreeing to continue dialogue.

South Korea's trade minister has asked his U.S. counterpart to exempt the country from reciprocal tariffs if they go into effect in April, the trade ministry said on Saturday. During his visit to Washington this week,

Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Friday that he has called for the Trump administration to grant South Korea tariff exemptions and ensure the Asian ally will be treated in a "non-discriminatory" way.