President Lee Jae Myung told U.S. lawmakers Monday that he hopes to prevent a recurrence of the detention of South Korean workers following an immigration raid at a battery plant in Georgia.
Lee made the remarks in his talks with four lawmakers — Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) — during his trip to attend the U.N. General Assembly.
“President Lee stressed the recent detention of South Korean professionals in Georgia should not be repeated,” the presidential office said in a release.
U.S. lawmakers agreed on the need to improve the visa system and expressed hope that bilateral efforts to enhance visa procedures would help advance the passage of the “Partner with Korea Act,” which seeks to provide high-skilled visas for Korean nationals, according to the office.
In July, Kim and Rep. Sydney KamlagerDove (D-CA) reintroduced the bill that seeks to create an allotment of 15,000 E-4 visas for Korean nationals with specialized education or expertise.
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from 6th para)
By Kim Eun-jung
NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) — President Lee Jae Myung told U.S. lawmakers Monday that he hopes to prevent a recurrence of the detention of South Korean workers following an immigration raid at a battery plant in Georgia.
Lee made the remarks in his talks with four lawmakers — Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) — during his trip to attend the U.N. General Assembly.
“President Lee stressed the recent detention of South Korean professionals in Georgia should not be repeated,” the presidential office said in a release.
U.S. lawmakers agreed on the need to improve the visa system and expressed hope that bilateral efforts to enhance visa procedures would help advance the passage of the “Partner with Korea Act,” which seeks to provide high-skilled visas for Korean nationals, according to the office.
In July, Kim and Rep. Sydney KamlagerDove (D-CA) reintroduced the bill that seeks to create an allotment of 15,000 E-4 visas for Korean nationals with specialized education or expertise.
Their meeting came at a time when the two nations have continued to hammer out details of South Korea’s US$350 billion investment pledge, made to secure a reduction of U.S. tariffs on Korean goods from 25 percent under a framework deal reached in July.
Lee noted that ongoing tariff negotiations could create instability in South Korea’s foreign exchange market but said he believed the two sides would ultimately find solutions that ensure “commercial viability,” according to his office.
In an interview with Reuters, he said that the $350 billion pledge would not be feasible without financial mechanisms, such as a currency swap arrangement.
On North Korea, Lee welcomed the U.S. playing the role of “peacemaker” on the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed his commitment to serve as a “pacemaker” to facilitate U.S. President Donald Trump’s talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the pursuit of lasting peace.
The lawmakers expressed congressional support for Lee’s efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and promote peace on the peninsula, and pledged congressional support for strengthening industrial and technology ties in shipbuilding, biotechnology and defense, it noted.