President Lee Jae Myung discussed tariffs and the recent detention of more than 300 South Korean workers in Georgia with U.S. lawmakers during his visit to New York.

The presidential office said Tuesday that Lee had met with  Republican Rep. Young Kim of California, who chairs the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee under the Foreign Affairs Committee, Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who chairs the Committee on Foreign Relations, Democrat Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York.

Lee said that despite prolonged tariff negotiations between the United States and South Korea, he is confident that the two nations will ultimately find a rational solution.

The president also stressed that incidents like the detention of specialized South Korean workers in Georgia must not recur.

U.S. lawmakers agreed with the president on the need for improvement to Washington's visa programs and said they expected the efforts of both governments to facilitate the passage of the "Partner with Korea Act," which would allot 15-thousand E-4 work visas to Korean citizens with specialized education or expertise.

Lee also sought the lawmakers' support for his role as "pacemaker" to U.S. President Donald Trump's "peacemaker" in efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.