Anchor: The United States will permit South Korean workers to "install, service and repair" the equipment necessary to facilitate investment plans on short-term business visas or visa waiver programs. The agreement follows the shocking detention of hundreds of Korean nationals during an immigration raid at an under-construction Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia last month. 
Rosyn Park reports.

Reporter: During the inaugural meeting of the South Korea-U.S. visa working group, Washington agreed to allow South Korean nationals to "install, service and repair" overseas equipment to build facilities in the United States. 

U.S. officials confirmed in Washington on Tuesday that the existing B-1 business visa and visa-free Electronic System for Travel Authorization(ESTA) program will both permit South Korean workers to conduct such activities as part of the investment process.

The working group was established in the wake of last month’s massive immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG factory site in Georgia that resulted in the detention of more than 300 Korean nationals, most of whom had entered the country with a B-1 visa or ESTA.

The incident underscored the lack of access to appropriate visas for specialized South Korean workers needed at investment sites.

Senior State Department and South Korean foreign ministry officials at the meeting also agreed to establish a dedicated desk, tentatively named the Korean Investor Desk, within the U.S. embassy in Seoul to provide visa guidance and consultation to Korean companies investing in the U.S.

Reaffirming the United States' commitment to welcoming and encouraging foreign inflows, particularly from South Korea, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasized the “critical role” of skilled personnel in ensuring the success of these investments.

According to the foreign ministry in Seoul, the U.S. side said some aspects of opening up visa access to South Korea's skilled workers would not be easy given "practical legislative constraints."

The working group will meet again soon to continue negotiations.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.