South Korea Urges US to Ease Visas for Business Investment

The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol is pressuring the United States to ease its visa procedures to give Korean companies more confidence investing in the country.

At a business event in Seoul, Yoon added that an easier visa regime would stimulate the Korean companies, which are sitting on the fence due to the inconvenience of acquiring US visas.

Korea-based businesses, particularly in technology and manufacturing, are exasperated by the difficulty in acquiring visas of their skilled employees and managers.

Large corporations such as Samsung and Hyundai have invested enormous sums in the US, Samsung has a $17 billion chip plant under construction in Texas and Hyundai is developing a $5.5 billion electric car factory in Georgia.

• South Korea Urges US to Simplify Visas to Boost Investment
• Yoon Suk Yeol Pushes for Easier US Visas for Korean Companies
• Visa Reforms Needed as Korean Firms Expand US Operations

However, company executives contend that it is difficult to place the right people in the right place because of visa delays and red tape, and this slows projects and causes headaches.

Yoon explained that a better visa system would bring the US and South Korea closer together. “Our companies are eager to invest, but they need assurance that their talent can move freely,” he said, suggesting ideas like increasing H-1B visas or creating special visa programs for countries like South Korea.

The US and South Korea have a strong friendship, with close ties in trade and security. Still, Korean business owners worry that if the US doesn’t fix its visa issues, they might turn to places like China or Europe, where moving workers is often less of a hassle.

The US Embassy in Seoul said they’re committed to helping businesses, but they didn’t say when changes might happen. Some experts think visa reforms could get stuck because immigration is such a tricky topic in US politics.

Also Read: U.S. Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Fatally Shot at 31

As South Korea looks to grow its global business ties, Yoon’s request is a reminder that both countries need to work together to keep their economic partnership strong and support new ideas and growth.