While welcoming the massive investment plans and projects of South Korean businesses including automaker Hyundai Motor Group, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick emphasized that their workers should obtain valid employment visas. "They should get the proper visa for their workers..... get a work visa," Axios quoted Lutnick as saying in an interview on Thursday. "What they did was they came in on tourist visas and then they just [started] working."
However, his comments appeared to overlook that some of those detained were holding B-1 business visas, which allow temporary stays for assignments such as training and equipment setup.
When asked whether such an immigration raid might affect Washington's bid to attract foreign investment, Lutnick replied, "No," adding that he could help them "get the right visa.” He further explained that the "old way" would no longer be tolerated and that U.S. President Donald Trump "wants it done correctly. You can't skirt the rules anymore."
During their discussion, Cho apparently emphasized that protecting the affected workers would be crucial for South Korean companies to conduct their U.S. projects without disruption.
He proposed forming a "working group" to consider a new type of visa that would ensure smoother business operations. The senators reportedly agreed that the incident should not undermine bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Last week, U.S. immigration authorities detained over 300 South Koreans, accusing them of allegedly working at a construction site in Folkston, Geogia without valid work permits. It was the largest single-site workplace raid in U.S. history by the Department of Homeland Security.
AJP has contacted U.S. immigration and visa-related agencies to inquire about these workers' visa status but has not yet received a reply as of Friday.
reporter
Cheon Soram
cheons@ajupress.com
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