Gov't, business lobbies discuss US visa issues to support Korean firms

The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Seoul is seen in this undated file photo. Yonhap

The government and business lobbies held a joint meeting Tuesday to assess the U.S. visa system in light of better supporting Korean companies investing in America, after Seoul and Washington launched a working group to address visa concerns for Korean investors.

The participants agreed to boost public-private cooperation in a way that U.S. visa reform would help Korean industries carry out their investment pledges in the United States, the foreign ministry said in a release.

They also agreed to hold the meeting on a regular basis this year to assess the progress in the agreements reached between Seoul and Washington regarding the visa issues.

Korea and the U.S. launched the visa working group to better support the entry of Korean businesspeople into the U.S. and ensure their smooth U.S. operations, after more than 300 Korean workers were arrested in an immigration raid in Georgia in September last year. They were released a week later through diplomatic negotiations.