The U.S. government has formally exempted South Korea from its expanded sanctions on Russia, having earlier enacted its Foreign Direct Product Rule(FDPR).

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the U.S. Commerce Department issued a joint statement to that effect on Tuesday.

The statement said the U.S. Department of Commerce, through its Bureau of Industry and Security, added South Korea to the list of countries receiving an exemption from the license requirements mandated by the U.S. sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including the FDPR guidelines.

The FDPR regulation requires non-American companies to receive a license from the U.S. for tech-related items using U.S. technology before they can be shipped to Russia.

It was feared that the rules would strike a blow to South Korean exporters as the technologies subject to the restrictions include semiconductors, computers, communication and information security and aerospace products.