Anchor: President Lee Jae Myung is putting pressure on the United States to improve its visa systems in the wake of the recent detention of hundreds of South Korean workers at a Hyundai factory in Georgia. During a nationally-televised press conference Thursday, Lee raised concerns that South Korean companies might become less willing to invest in the U.S. following the controversial immigration raid. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: President Lee Jae Myung says South Korean companies may be very hesitant to invest in America, following the recent immigration raid at a Hyundai factory in the U.S. state of Georgia. 

Lee addressed the detention of more than 300 South Korean nationals in the U.S. and other key issues during a news conference marking his first 100 days in office on Thursday.

[Sound bite: President Lee Jae Myung (Korean-English)] 
"Our companies that have advanced [into the U.S.] must be quite confused. [It's not like they were seeking] long-term, permanent employment, and they only needed technicians to set up equipment to build a facility there. But they couldn't find human resources in the U.S. and visas were not available for the workers to stay, and because they already knew what to do, they thought they could quickly teach [the locals] and come back. If this doesn't work, companies will inevitably be concerned that establishing a local factory in the U.S. will be difficult or even disadvantageous in the future. This will likely have a significant impact on future direct investment in the U.S."

While noting that Seoul and Washington are discussing ways to improve immigration and visa procedures between the two sides, Lee also made it clear the detention issue would not hurt bilateral cooperation going forward.

He said U.S. President Donald Trump is the most important factor in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

[Sound bite: President Lee Jae Myung (Korean-English)] 
"The person who can exert the most influence right now is President Trump. While the United States is an important factor, I believe the characteristics of President Trump are even more conducive to securing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. He's effectively playing a peacemaker role, so if he can continue to make real progress on the Korean Peninsula—the last remaining divided nation on Earth and one of the biggest sources of global instability—then he'll truly be a peacemaker. I asked him to play that role, and my fundamental stance remains unchanged. However, we constantly ask him what he's doing realistically."

Lee added that he does not expect inter-Korean relations to improve overnight after years of hostilities with the Seoul government. 

The South Korean leader noted his unification policies will be pursued with a long-term perspective, while immediate efforts continue to reduce border tensions with the North. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.