Trade minister calls for Georgia governor's support to address visa issues

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, right, shakes hand with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp during a meeting in central Seoul, Thursday. Yeo asked Kemp to support Korean firms there and address visa issues for workers. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo called on visiting Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday to support Korean firms based there and drum up support to address visa issues for them and workers.

In a meeting with Kemp earlier in the day, Yeo asked the Georgia governor to make efforts to prevent further incidents similar to the September immigration raid.

Kemp also said his state will support Korean firms' stable operations and their investment.

Last month, more than 300 Korean workers were arrested and detained in a U.S. immigration raid in Georgia in early September.

The workers were released after a week following negotiations between Seoul and Washington. In response, the two sides agreed to set up a working group dialogue and install a visa desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul solely for Korean businesses.