Summary
The United States has agreed to let South Korean workers with short-term visas or visa waivers work on industrial projects in the U.S. This decision came after South Korea expressed concerns following the detention of South Korean workers during an immigration raid in Georgia. Both countries aim to facilitate South Korean companies in setting up manufacturing operations in the U.S.
Key Facts
- The U.S. will let South Korean workers with specific short-term visas work on industrial sites.
- This announcement followed an incident where over 300 South Korean workers were detained at a factory site in Georgia.
- The detention led to public anger in South Korea, an important U.S. ally.
- South Korean workers often use B-1 short-term business visas or ESTA visa waivers for U.S. projects.
- South Korea's Foreign Ministry stated the U.S. reaffirmed permission for this visa practice.
- The U.S. said making major visa system changes would be hard due to legal limits.
- Most detained workers were connected to LG Energy Solution, involved in the Georgia factory project.
- South Korea desires a new visa category for skilled workers, but this won't happen immediately.
