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Prime minister requests U.S. senator's cooperation for passage of bill on visas

Published: 13 Mar. 2026, 20:07

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, front right, meets with U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, front left, at the Conrad Hotel in Washington on March 12. [PRIME MINISTER'S SECRETARIAT]

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has requested the cooperation of U.S. Sen. Andy Kim in getting Congress to swiftly pass a bill improving visa conditions for Koreans, his office said on Friday.

The prime minister made the request — referring to the Partner with Korea Act, which centers on ensuring stable conditions of stay for skilled Korean workers in the United States and establishing a new quota for visas for Korean professionals — during their meeting in Washington on Thursday, his office said in a press release.

The senator agreed that improving the U.S. visa system is necessary to implement Korea's $350 billion investment pledge in his country and promised to make every effort to win bipartisan support for the act's passage.

The visa issue gained urgency after hundreds of Korean workers were detained in a surprise raid in Georgia last year, when Seoul was planning to implement the $350 billion investment pledge as part of a bilateral trade deal.

During their meeting, the two men also discussed the National Assembly's passage this week of a special bill facilitating the U.S. investment and ways to strengthen their countries' strategic cooperation beyond their military alliance in areas including shipbuilding, the bio industry and AI, according to the prime minister's office.

Later in the day, Kim held a dinner meeting with representatives from Korean businesses and state institutions with offices in the Washington area, such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

While encouraging them, the prime minister also listened to their concerns and promised the government's active assistance in resolving them.

Yonhap