South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, during a news conference in Seoul on Sept. 11, said that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Georgia, which detained over 300 South Korean workers, could affect future South Korean investment in the U.S. He added that the fallout had created a “very confusing” situation for South Korean companies there.
South Korean businesses in the U.S. “need to build facilities, install equipment, and set up factories, which requires skilled technicians,” President Lee Jae Myung said at a press conference that marked his 100th day in office. He added that confusion over the current visa situation for South Koreans would lead local companies to question “whether they should go at all.”
“This issue could have a considerable impact on foreign direct investment in the U.S.,” he said. “We are urging the U.S. side to normalize the visa process related to investment, whether by securing sufficient visa quotas or by creating a new category of visa.”
Lee’s comments come as the South Korean workers detained in Georgia prepare to depart Atlanta on a Sept. 11 flight and arrive in Seoul on Friday, Sept. 12
