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1h ago

U.S., South Korea Set First Visa Working-Group Meeting for Tuesday in Washington

Officials plan to clarify business-travel rules following a Georgia raid that detained more than 300 Korean workers.

More than 300 South Korean workers arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, in this file photo taken Sept. 12, 2025, after a weeklong detention by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
This photo, taken Sept. 11, 2025, shows a sign pointing to the construction site of a battery factory by a joint Hyundai-LG Energy Solution venture in Georgia. (Yonhap)
This photo, taken Sept. 9, 2025, shows a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, where hundreds of South Korean workers of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution were detained following a recent immigration crackdown. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Seoul’s Jung Ki-hong and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Kevin Kim will lead the session, with Homeland Security and Commerce officials participating.
  • The agenda centers on easing entry for personnel of Korean firms investing in the U.S. and improving visa procedures for business and technical staff.
  • Discussions are expected to cover clarifying how the B‑1 business visa is applied and exploring a dedicated consular visa desk for Korean investors.
  • The talks follow the early-September immigration raid at a Hyundai–LG Energy Solution battery site in Georgia, where over 300 Koreans were detained for about a week and later released.
  • Many detainees had entered on B‑1 visas or via the visa-waiver program, prompting calls in Seoul and Washington for clearer guidance and swift administrative remedies.