[Reporter’s Notebook] Meeting with Korean Investors in the U.S. Reveals Only Bureaucratic Barriers, Not Dialogue

"I spoke about the difficulties faced by companies operating in the United States, but the discussions mostly covered topics that have already been reported in the media," said one company representative who attended the meeting for Korean companies investing in the United States, which was chaired by Park Jongwon, Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, on September 8. This was the first meeting organized by the ministry in response to the emergency situation in which more than 300 Korean nationals had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities. However, according to participants, the atmosphere at the meeting felt more like a formality than an urgent discussion of countermeasures.

The meeting lasted nearly three hours, but the outcome was largely theoretical. Deputy Minister Park stated, "We will work with relevant ministries to ensure that companies do not suffer unfair disadvantages." However, when it came to core issues such as how to respond to the detained employees or the establishment of a special visa quota, he repeatedly said, "It would be better to consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy have been shifting responsibility to each other in response to media inquiries, and they continued to do so even after Korean employees were detained.

The formal nature of the meeting was also evident in the remarks of a ministry official, who explained the background for convening the emergency meeting: "The Presidential Office mentioned the need to prevent similar incidents from recurring, so we organized this meeting in a hurry." This suggests that the directive from the Presidential Office took precedence over the seriousness of the detainment of Korean nationals. Some attendees admitted, "We came here in a rush without even knowing what would be discussed." Even before the meeting began, they had not been informed of any specific agenda items and attended in a hurry.

There were also expectations that, since a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be present, there would be close coordination between the two ministries. However, the official who attended was only a Grade 4 section chief. Given the urgency of the situation, with hundreds of people detained and the need for special visa discussions, there was disappointment that a more responsible official did not attend.

On this day, Deputy Minister Park emphasized that this would not be the last such meeting and that similar forms of communication would continue. However, considering that companies have been appealing for a resolution to U.S. visa issues for years, his remarks only reinforced the perception that the government has been ignoring the voices of businesses. Manufacturing companies such as LG Energy Solution have long called for stronger protection measures for employees traveling to the United States.

With hundreds of Korean nationals currently detained, what is needed is not another "promise of communication." The real solution is for responsible officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to break down bureaucratic barriers and work together directly to develop fundamental solutions. Continued avoidance of responsibility and superficial meetings will not prevent further harm.