PM seeks US senator's cooperation for passage of bill on visas
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, right, shakes hands with Andy Kim, the first-ever Korean American senator, ahead of their talks in Washington, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has requested the cooperation of U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) in getting Congress to swiftly pass a bill improving visa conditions for Koreans, his office said Friday.
The prime minister made the request during their meeting in Washington on Thursday (local time), referring to the Partner with Korea Act, which centers on ensuring stable conditions of stay for skilled Korean workers in the U.S. and establishing a new quota for visas for Korean professionals, his office said in a press release.
The senator agreed that improving the U.S. visa system is necessary in order to implement Korea's $350 billion investment pledge in his country and promised to make every effort to win bipartisan support for the act's passage, it said.
The visa issue gained urgency after hundreds of Korean workers were detained in a surprise raid in the U.S. state of Georgia last year at a time when Seoul was planning to implement the $350 billion investment pledge as part of a bilateral trade deal.
During their meeting, the two men also discussed the National Assembly's passage this week of a special bill facilitating the investment and ways to strengthen their countries' strategic cooperation beyond their military alliance in areas including shipbuilding, the bio industry and artificial intelligence, according to the prime minister's office.
Later in the day, he held a dinner meeting with representatives from Korean businesses and state institutions with offices in the Washington area, such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
While encouraging them, the prime minister also listened to their concerns and promised the government's active assistance in resolving them.