Jongwon Park, Deputy Minister for Trade: "We Will Seek Solutions to Prevent Unfair Disadvantages for Korean Companies"

Jongwon Park Vows to Seek Solutions for US Visa Issues
Deputy Minister Promises Close Communication with Ministries and Industry to Prevent Unfair Disadvantages

Jongwon Park, Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated on September 8, "We will work together with relevant ministries and industries to find solutions so that companies facing difficulties with US visa issues do not suffer unfair disadvantages."

Deputy Minister Park made these remarks to the press after the US Investment Companies Meeting jointly hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Economic Association at the FKI Tower in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the same day. He said, "We will do our best to communicate closely with relevant ministries and industries to ensure that our companies are not unfairly disadvantaged and to find solutions."

Jongwon Park, Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is explaining the details of the meeting to the press after the US Investment Companies Meeting jointly hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Economic Association at the FKI Tower in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, at 10 a.m. on the 8th. Photo by Seonga Shim

Regarding the structural situation where companies cannot legally obtain visas to dispatch employees to the United States, he said, "We will work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to devise solutions," adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also making significant efforts through various channels." He declined to comment on issues such as the possibility of re-entry for currently detained employees or requests for additional visa quotas, stating that these matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deputy Minister Park said of the difficulties raised by companies during the meeting, "I listened in detail to the circumstances faced by the companies," and added, "This kind of meeting should not be a one-time event. We will continue to communicate with companies operating locally to devise ongoing solutions."

During the meeting, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reviewed the workforce management status of each company, including visa issues, related to the operation of US investment projects. Most of the companies currently investing in the United States, such as Hyundai Motor Group, LG Energy Solution, SK On, Samsung SDI, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, LG Chem, HD Hyundai, Hanwha Solutions, LS, and Hyosung, as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the meeting.

In response to the unprecedented situation in which more than 300 workers have been detained following the US government's unprecedented crackdown on illegal stayers among Korean investment companies, the business community has voiced both self-reflection on the long-standing practice of expedient business trips and criticism that discussions on Korea-US visas have stalled for an extended period.

Our government has consistently requested, mainly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the United States expand visa issuance for Korean company personnel to support stable Korean investment in the US. However, these efforts have not led to concrete results. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked to establish up to 15,000 new E-4 employment visas for Korean professionals through US legislation, but the bill has not passed Congress.

Against this backdrop, while Korean company employees were traveling to the US for meetings or contract purposes using B1 visas or visa-free Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), this large-scale crackdown occurred.