South Korea, US to launch working group on visa issues after ICE detentions

South Korea and the United States are set to launch a joint working group this week aimed at improving the US visa system for South Korean workers, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The move comes in response to the recent detention of more than 300 Korean nationals during a US immigration raid in Georgia, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

The first meeting of the new working group will take place in Washington on Tuesday, just weeks after the high-profile raid on a factory construction site that drew international attention, as per Yonhap News Agency.

The detained workers were held for about a week over what officials described as unclear visa violations before being released following diplomatic negotiations between Seoul and Washington.

According to diplomatic sources, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US State Department will jointly lead the initiative. The US Department of Homeland Security and Commerce Department are also believed to be taking part in the group.

The two nations are widely expected to discuss how to improve the US visa system for South Korean workers at a time when Korean firms have been carrying out large manufacturing projects in the US.

Many of those who were detained in the Georgia raid had arrived in the US on a B1 visa, issued for business purposes, such as attending meetings or signing contracts, or under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver program for short-term stays, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea and the US are likely to discuss whether to flexibly apply the B1 visa. If the scope of business purposes under a B1 visa is clarified, the US could swiftly address South Korean business people difficulties without the need to change the current visa system.

The possibility of setting up a separate visa desk at the South Korean Embassy in the US could be handled for Koreans making US investments, according to the sources.