South Korea, US discuss visa-related measures to ensure smooth entry of workers

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Another round of working-level meeting between South Korean and U.S. officials was held via Zoom to discuss visa-related issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Wednesday.

The talks came as the two countries agreed to find ways to ensure the smooth entry of employees and workers for South Korean companies investing in the U.S., following the detention and deportation of more than 300 South Koreans during a sweeping raid in Georgia early last month.

Foreign ministry officials along with those from relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups met with U.S. representatives from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, headed by Jonathan Fritz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Both sides discussed setting up a dedicated desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to facilitate visa issuance for South Korean businessmen. They also agreed on the importance of devising "practical measures" to ensure the timely entry of eligible visa holders for projects including the construction of factories in the U.S.

Wednesday's meeting came less than a month after the first meeting in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 30, which was attended by Kevin Kim, a senior official in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, reportedly being considered as the successor to Joseph Yun, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Seoul.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.