On December 5, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jin-a visited the newly established Korea Investment Companies Dedicated Desk, also known as the "KIT Desk," at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Minister Kim visited the KIT Desk on this day and, together with Kevin Kim, Charg? d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, reviewed the achievements and future plans of the "Korea-U.S. Business Travel and Visa Working Group" for this year. The KIT Desk serves as an institution that not only provides visa issuance consultations but also responds to and supports general inquiries regarding investment in the United States. It is operated through collaboration among officials from various departments within the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, including the Department of State, Department of Commerce, and Department of Homeland Security.
During this visit, Vice Minister Kim was briefed by the U.S. side on the main functions and future activity plans of the dedicated desk. In addition, Vice Minister Kim and Charg? d’Affaires Kevin Kim assessed that the Korea-U.S. Business Travel and Visa Working Group, launched in September this year, has made joint efforts to produce tangible results for Korean companies through two official meetings and several working-level consultations. They also agreed to continue consultations next year to support Korean companies’ investment activities in the United States.
Major achievements currently being implemented as a result of this year’s Korea-U.S. consultations include: ▲Publication of explanatory materials (fact sheets) in both Korean and English that clearly define the scope of activities for B1/ESTA holders in the United States ▲Establishment of a dedicated desk for U.S.-bound investment companies within the U.S. Embassy in Seoul ▲Improvement of the visa application system for all travelers supporting U.S.-bound investment projects ▲Inclusion, when applicable, of U.S. stay status and project details in the annotation section of newly issued B-1 visas for personnel dispatched for investment purposes ▲Establishment of a cooperative system between Korean diplomatic missions in the United States and U.S. immigration enforcement agencies ▲Follow-up measures for detained personnel in Georgia, for a total of six key outcomes. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul temporarily increased visa issuance staff between October and November to expedite visa processing for Korean corporate personnel.
Vice Minister Kim evaluated this year’s Korea-U.S. Working Group consultations as a success and proposed that the working group continue to meet regularly next year. She also suggested that practical communication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, as well as between the U.S. Department of State and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States, should be maintained to continuously implement improvements that Korean corporate personnel can directly experience.
Furthermore, Vice Minister Kim emphasized the need to continue striving for fundamental institutional improvements so that successful investment projects by Korean companies can contribute to the revitalization of U.S. manufacturing and job creation in the United States.
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