South Korea and US Intensify Visa Discussions, Working Group's First Meeting Set for September 30th in Washington

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and US State Department to Participate; Flexible Application of "B1 Visa" Scope of Work to be Discussed First

Korean Workers Detained in the US Safely Return Home (Yongjongdo=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Jin-wook = Korean workers detained by US immigration authorities in Georgia are seen leaving the arrival hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the 12th. 2025.9.12 [Joint Coverage] cityboy@yna.co.kr

A South Korea-US working group, formed to resolve visa issues arising from the mass detention of Korean nationals by US immigration authorities, is set to launch after concluding preliminary discussions.

According to foreign affairs sources on the 28th, South Korea and the US are scheduled to hold the first meeting of the working group in Washington D.C. on the 30th (local time).

This comes 26 days after 317 Korean nationals working at the construction site of a joint battery plant by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia were detained on the 4th (local time), causing significant repercussions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State will serve as the lead ministries for the working group, with related US departments such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce also expected to be involved.

A high-ranking government official had previously stated in New York on the 26th, "We have formed the working group and conveyed it to the US side, and we proposed a meeting in Washington sometime in September."

South Korea and the US have been holding preliminary discussions through channels between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Korea to establish the working group.

The working group will focus on how to resolve visa issues for South Koreans related to investments in the US.

The issue of clarifying the scope of permissible business activities for the B1 visa, a short-term business visa for business purposes, is expected to be addressed first. This approach, which involves flexibly applying the current system without separate regulatory changes, is a way to quickly alleviate difficulties for Korean companies.

Furthermore, the establishment of a separate visa desk at the US Embassy in Seoul for Korean businesspeople involved in investments in the US will also be considered.

Given that a high-ranking official mentioned, "We have heard that the US side has already taken measures" regarding these matters, swift conclusions are anticipated.

The South Korean government is expected to focus on establishing a separate visa category for Korean companies through the working group.

Apart from clarifying the B1 visa guidelines, a plan to create a new visa suitable for Koreans who stay in the US for several months to oversee factory setup and personnel training is expected to be reviewed.

Additionally, it is understood that within the framework of the working group, discussions will be held on seeking legislation from the US Congress to establish a separate visa quota exclusively for Korean specialized personnel. Yonhap News