US and South Korean officials held the first “Business Travel and Visa Working Group” meeting in Washington on Tuesday (September 30th) to address visa obstacles for South Korean businesses investing and operating in the US.
The US authorities raided a modern car battery factory in Georgia on September 4th, detaining over 310 South Korean workers on visa or immigration violation issues, prompting the South Korean government to express serious concerns about the US visa system.
The inaugural meeting was co-chaired by Kevin Kim, Senior Official of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US Department of State, and Jung Kihong, Public Diplomacy Ambassador of South Korea. Officials from the US Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, as well as officials from the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups attended the meeting.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to establish a dedicated “Korean Investor Desk” at the US Embassy in Seoul as a communication channel for South Korean businesses. It will provide guidance and advice on visa matters and handle visa affairs for investment enterprises. The service platform is scheduled to operate in October, and specific details will be announced on the US Embassy website.
The meeting also confirmed the activities South Korean visitors holding B-1 business visas can engage in. The US stated that personnel of South Korean businesses investing in the US can enter with a B-1 visa or apply for the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to carry out activities like equipment installation, inspection, and maintenance during their investment period.
The US side emphasized that the above arrangements must comply with current US legal systems and must not violate US immigration or visa regulations. The US-South Korea visa working group will continue to negotiate and discuss the establishment of new visa categories to meet actual needs.
Most of the South Korean workers detained at the battery factory in Georgia last month entered with B-1, B-2 visas, or ESTA qualifications. The US-South Korea announcement did not mention the relevant regulations for B-2 tourist visas.
According to a statement from the US Department of State, the US and South Korea jointly emphasized the importance of cooperation in advancing investment goals. The US government is closely cooperating with South Korea to promote trade and investment partnerships between the two countries, including processing appropriate visas for qualified South Korean visitors according to US laws, enabling South Korea to continue investing in the US.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that South Korea is one of the main sources of investment for the US. The US will support and encourage South Korea to invest in the US and stressed the crucial role that technical personnel play in these investment projects.
The statement read, “The US strongly supports promoting investment in the industrialization, strengthening the US-Korea alliance, and enhancing mutual prosperity.”
“The US government is closely working with its Korean ally to advance US-Korea trade and investment partnerships, including processing appropriate visas for qualified South Korean visitors to continue investing in the US while adhering to US laws.”