S. Korea, U.S. Kick Off Inaugural Visa Working Group Meeting

(MENAFN) South Korea and the United States convened the inaugural meeting of a newly formed bilateral working group in Washington on Tuesday, aiming to tackle visa challenges faced by South Korean businesspeople investing in the U.S., according to the South Korean foreign ministry Wednesday.

The South Korea-U.S. visa working group was officially launched with its first session, attended by Jung Ki-hong, South Korea’s representative for nationals overseas protection and consular affairs, alongside Kevin Kim, senior bureau official for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. State Department.

This development follows the high-profile detention and subsequent release of 316 South Korean workers during the September 4 immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution joint venture electric vehicle battery plant construction site.

The raid came on the heels of South Korea’s late July verbal commitment to invest $350 billion in the U.S., linked to the U.S. agreement to reduce tariffs on South Korean goods.

At the meeting, the U.S. agreed to implement key steps, including creating a dedicated Korean Investor Desk at the U.S. embassy in Seoul.

The U.S. confirmed that South Korean companies are allowed to use the B-1 short-term business visitor visa for tasks related to their investment activities in the United States, including installing, servicing, and repairing equipment bought from abroad. Additionally, business travelers under the ESTA visa waiver program are permitted to perform the same activities as those holding B-1 visas.

Both parties also consented to establish ongoing communication channels among South Korea’s diplomatic missions in the U.S., U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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