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LG, Hyundai lead Korea Inc. call for foreign minister to resolve U.S. visa issues

Published: 11 Sep. 2025, 16:39

Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, meets with managers of Korean companies that are carrying out business in the United States on Sept. 10. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

As Koreans detained at a factory in Georgia during a raid by U.S. immigration authorities prepare to return home after a week of confinement, representatives from the Korean industry urged the government to solve the visa-related issues that hinder business projects in the United States.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of Korean companies in Washington, including LG and Hyundai Motor, to discuss visa-related challenges stemming from the Georgia raid.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure the swift and safe return of our nationals and to prevent them from facing disadvantages when re-entering the United States in the future,” Cho said.

Companies called on the government to work toward the establishment of a separate visa quota for Korean professionals, the so-called E-4 visa, and to improve approval rates for the E-2 visa, which covers employees dispatched to the United States from countries with which the United States has a commerce treaty.

Since 2012, the government has lobbied for the introduction of the E-4 visa under the Partner With Korea Act, spending $5.5 million, but the legislation has yet to be passed by the U.S. Congress. The E-2 visa has also become harder to obtain due to rising demand.

Cho Hyun, minister of foreign affairs, answers questions from reporters during a press conference held in Washington Sept. 10. [NEWS1]

Business leaders also urged Cho to press Washington for clearer guidelines on the B-1 short-term business visa, which is commonly used for business trips. Many of those detained in Georgia were confirmed to have held B-1 visas.

"Any new guidelines must be consistently applied not only by the State Department but also by the Department of Homeland Security to reduce uncertainty for Korean companies investing in the United States," meeting attendees told the foreign minister.

While the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual specifies that direct construction work is prohibited under the visa but tasks such as equipment installation, staff training and business meetings are permitted, industry voices argue that the scope of permissible activities is too vague.

Cho met with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, in Washington on Wednesday morning to hear an explanation for the raid and stress the urgency of visa reform to prevent future disruptions to Korean investment in the United States. He also expressed wishes for administrative procedures aimed at minimizing disadvantages for the released individuals when they seek to re-enter the United States, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Folkston ICE Processing Center in Georgia on Sept. 10 [YONHAP]

A chartered Korean Air airplane arrives at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia on Sept. 10. [YONHAP]

If the Korean workers' detention records cause obstacles when reapplying to enter the United States, the issue could spark long-term controversy.

"The best option is voluntary departure, which avoids an entry ban, but is only available to those who have not overstayed for more than a year," said immigration lawyer Choi Kyeong-gyu. "Deportation orders would trigger a 10-year entry ban."

The episode is also fueling calls in Seoul to manage anti-U.S. sentiment ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in late October. While the presidential office said it conveyed Koreans’ “deepest outrage” to Washington in “the strongest possible terms,” critics argue that public anger will not subside without a clear U.S. explanation and concrete measures to prevent a repeat incident.

“The large-scale raid at the site of a strategic investment by a Korean conglomerate, which resulted in the mass detention of Korean workers, runs counter to the spirit of Korea-U.S. cooperation,” said Lee Byong-chul, professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University. “Korea must demand a full explanation, assurances on the human rights of its workers, prior consultation before future raids, and expedited procedures for the return of those detained.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK HYUN-JU, SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]