SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's president warned that Korean companies may hesitate to invest further in the United States unless the U.S. improves its visa system for foreign workers. This call for reform follows an immigration raid in Georgia where over 300 South Korean workers were detained at a Hyundai battery factory site.
During a press conference marking 100 days in office, President Lee Jae Myung raised concerns about the treatment of South Korean workers in the U.S. and the implications of U.S. immigration policies on bilateral investments. He emphasized that without a more accommodating visa framework, South Korean firms might reconsider their direct investments in America.
The U.S. authorities have confirmed the release of the detained workers, which included 316 Koreans, but the incident has sparked outrage and a sense of betrayal in South Korea. The raid was perceived as a heavy-handed enforcement action, reminiscent of aggressive immigration strategies purportedly aimed at achieving a target of 3,000 arrests per day, leading to criticisms from both political sides in South Korea.
In reaction to the unrest, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced plans to create a joint working group focusing on a new visa category aimed at facilitating the mobility of skilled workers from South Korea.
Lee stated that the current U.S. visa system allows insufficient flexibility for managing skilled labor requirements essential for launching and operating facilities like the battery plant in Georgia. He lamented that American policies do not align with South Korea's more lenient approach to visa policies regarding skilled visitors.
Experts have pointed out that unresolved visa issues could lead to delays in the operational expansion of various manufacturing sites in the U.S. that are currently being developed by Korean companies, potentially undermining outcomes for both economies.
