Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said that South Korea's investment projects in the United States will remain in limbo until ongoing visa issues are resolved.

The prime minister made the remarks in an interview with Bloomberg News released on Thursday, saying that until the two nations can resolve issues related to work authorization, meaningful progress on investment in the U.S. will be "virtually impossible."

Kim’s remarks appear to refer to South Korea’s pledge to invest 350 billion U.S. dollars in its ally's economy as part of a trade deal Seoul and Washington reached in late July, in the wake of an immigration raid that resulted in the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers in Georgia earlier in September.

The prime minister said that though investment projects have not been fully halted or officially suspended, it will be extremely difficult for large numbers of workers to enter or re-enter the U.S. until this issue is addressed.

He added that without firm guarantees of safety, it is natural for workers and their families to be reluctant to return to the country.

Kim said that South Korea finds it difficult to accept demands that exceed national interest or public understanding, adding that any deal imposing significant financial burdens on South Korea would require parliamentary approval.