SEOUL, Sept 19 — South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has reassured the public and corporate leaders that the government will take active steps to resolve US visa issues affecting Korean workers before advancing with a sweeping US$350 billion (RM1.47 trillion) investment commitment in the United States.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Friday, Cho emphasized the importance of protecting Korean talent abroad. This follows a recent US immigration crackdown that led to the arrest of several hundred South Korean workers at a Hyundai Motor battery plant in Georgia. While most of those workers have since returned home, the incident sparked widespread concern and a renewed call for a streamlined visa system for skilled Korean professionals who are critical to setting up US-based operations and training local staff.
“Visa policy is not a precondition for our strategic investments in the United States,” Cho clarified. “But ensuring the dignity and safety of our workforce is something we cannot and will not overlook.”
The South Korean government is now pushing for the creation of a new visa category to ensure that future projects—many of which support key sectors like electric vehicles, clean energy, and semiconductors—are not disrupted by immigration uncertainties.
In addition to addressing US-related matters, Cho also turned attention to diplomacy in Asia. He shared that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit, hosted by South Korea in late October.
Cho, having just returned from high-level talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, said he conveyed South Korea’s openness to deeper cultural collaboration with China. This move could signal a thaw in bilateral relations long chilled by Beijing’s unofficial ban on Korean pop culture exports—a backlash against the US-led Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system deployed in South Korea nearly a decade ago.
“Restoring trust and cultural flow between our nations is a step toward peace and mutual understanding,” Cho added.
