SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president stated that companies may hesitate to invest further in the United States unless Washington improves its visa system for employees. This remark came on Thursday following the release of hundreds of workers detained during an immigration raid at a Georgia factory.
In a news conference marking his first 100 days in office, Lee Jae Myung urged U.S. authorities to reconsider their visa policies. This discussion was triggered by the Sept. 4 immigration operation that saw more than 300 South Korean workers arrested while they were at a Hyundai battery factory under construction.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed that U.S. authorities released 330 detainees, including 316 Koreans, who have now returned to South Korea. The incident, which saw workers depicted in chains in released videos, has incited outrage and feelings of betrayal in South Korea, especially coming shortly after a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lawmakers across political lines in South Korea criticized the raid as excessive, with major media equating it to a rabbit hunt aiming to meet aggressive immigration enforcement goals.
Lee mentioned that without a reformed visa process, South Korean companies may be discouraged from establishing operations in the U.S., as the current system heavily relies on temporary visitor visas. He emphasized the urgency for improvements, noting that it greatly affects future investments.
The summit with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week led to a commitment for upcoming discussions to introduce a new visa category that would facilitate the transfer of skilled workers from South Korea to the United States. Failure to enact these changes may lead to future complications for South Korean workers in the U.S.
