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Gov't, business lobbies discuss U.S. visa issues to support Korean firms

Published: 20 Jan. 2026, 19:38

A U.S. flag, a passport and a U.S. H-1B Visa application form are seen in this illustration from on Sept. 22, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The government and business lobbies held a joint meeting on Tuesday to assess the U.S. visa system and discuss better support for Korean companies investing in the United States, 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 United States launched the visa working group to better support the entry of Korean businesspeople into the United States 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.

Yonhap