The US government has confirmed that South Korean engineers will be allowed to continue to work in the US under short-term business visas, easing concerns over project delays following the detention of hundreds of Korean workers in Georgia last month.
At the inaugural meeting of a new bilateral visa working group in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the US government reaffirmed that B-1 business visas and ESTA, the electronic travel authorization, can be used for activities such as equipment installation, inspection and repair, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The agreement comes after hundreds of Koreans were taken into custody in a raid on a Hyundai Motor Co. and LG Energy Solution Ltd. battery plant under construction in Georgia on Sept.4.
Most of the detained employees were carrying ESTA or B1 and B2 visas.
Construction work on the site was suspended following the raid.
The $4.3 billion Hyundai-LG joint venture, HL-GA Battery Co., is one of the largest projects in Georgia and is expected to create 8,500 jobs.
The detainees were released and returned home about a week after the raid, but the incident has rattled Korea, where images of shackled workers have circulated widely and fueled public anger, calling into question investment plans by Korean conglomerates.
The detention triggered alarm across corporate Korea, where companies feared disruption to multibillion-dollar investment projects in the US.
“The US reconfirmed that Korean companies can use the B-1 visa for activities associated with their investment process in the US, such as installing, servicing and repairing equipment purchased from overseas, and that those on an ESTA program can also engage in the same activities conducted by those with the B-1 visa,” the ministry said.
DEDICATED VISA DESK FOR ENGINEERS AT US EMBASSY IN SEOUL
To improve communication, Seoul and Washington also agreed to establish a dedicated visa desk at the US embassy in Seoul, which will begin operations later this month.
Washington is expected to issue updated guidance through the embassy website.
Korean industry groups greeted the outcome with relief.
LG Energy thanked the Korean government for its “swift support.” The battery maker pledged to resume construction and operations at its US plants.
Hyundai Motor said it will review the guidance carefully and update its internal rules, while Samsung Electronics Co., which had already tightened its ESTA travel guidelines for staff, is expected to follow suit.
VISA CONCERNS NOT YET RESOLVED
Executives said the agreement reduces immediate uncertainty but warned it does not amount to a comprehensive fix.
Long-standing demands for greater access to L-1 visas for transferees and H-1B visas for skilled professionals were not resolved, with US officials citing legislative constraints.
“While this is welcome, the fundamental problem remains that the US’ immigration stance leaves business travel precarious,” said an industry executive in Seoul.
Christopher Landau, the US deputy secretary of state, attended the visa meeting on Tuesday, underscoring Washington’s concerns about the fallout from the Georgia detention.
The state department later stressed that the US “welcomes and encourages Korean investment” and recognizes the “critical role of skilled personnel” in the success of foreign investment in the US.
Korean companies are under pressure to accelerate their US projects, from Hyundai’s plans for a new electric steel mill in Louisiana to LG’s battery supply commitments.
Despite the US assurances, Korean businesses remain wary.
“There is relief that we now have clarity on B-1 and ESTA use,” said an industry official. “But unless there is more clarity on visas for Korean engineers, the fear of future disruption is not going away.”
By In-Soo Nam
isnam@hankyung.com
Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.
