SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated on Thursday that His country’s firms may hesitate to invest further in the United States unless there are improvements to the U.S. visa system after the recent mass detentions of Korean workers in Georgia.
During a news conference marking his first 100 days in office, Lee called for reform in the U.S. visa processes, discussing a raid on a Hyundai battery factory that led to the arrest of over 300 South Korean workers.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced that U.S. officials have since released the detained workers, including 316 Koreans, who are being sent back home. This incident stirred significant discontent in South Korea, especially coming shortly after a summit between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lee described the detentions as outrageous and criticized the U.S. for aggressive immigration enforcement. He highlighted that the need for skilled workers is pivotal for the construction and setup of U.S. factories and urged the U.S. to adopt a visa system that could accommodate these needs.
When you build a factory or install equipment, you need technicians, but the United States doesn’t have that workforce, Lee said. If that’s not feasible, the option to establish local factories will either come with severe disadvantages or become very difficult for our companies.
He elaborated that the continued success of South Korean investments in the U.S. is contingent upon easing visa regulations, as current policies are insufficient for the short-term needs of skilled teams.
Furthermore, after meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korea agreed to work on establishing a new visa category to simplify the process for sending workers to the U.S. Lee has made it clear that if U.S. visa policies do not change, Korean companies risk hindering their operational capabilities and ultimately impacting the U.S. economy negatively.
