By Peter Omopo
Seoul, September 11, 2025 — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that South Korean companies may reconsider maintaining or expanding investments in the United States unless Washington improves its visa system for Korean workers.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Thursday to mark his first 100 days in office, Lee cited the September 4 immigration raid in Georgia, where more than 300 South Korean workers were detained at a Hyundai battery factory under construction.
The president said the workers are scheduled to return home on Friday aboard a chartered plane following negotiations with U.S. authorities.
“Under the current visa system, South Korean companies can’t help hesitating a lot about making direct investments in the United States,” Lee said.
U.S. officials have said that some of the workers entered the country illegally, while others overstayed visas or violated visa waivers that prohibit employment.
For years, South Korean firms have relied on short-term visitor visas and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to dispatch skilled workers for plant construction and equipment installation. The practice, once widely tolerated, is now facing tighter scrutiny.
Lee stressed that whether the U.S. creates a tailored visa program for skilled Korean workers will have a “major impact” on future industrial projects.
“It’s not like these are long-term workers,” Lee explained. “When you build a facility or install equipment at a plant, you need technicians. The United States doesn’t have that workforce, yet they won’t issue visas to let our people stay and do the work.”
The issue has highlighted long-standing tensions between Washington’s push for South Korean industrial investment and Seoul’s demand for a more flexible U.S. visa regime.
