"Equipment Installation Permitted with U.S. B-1 Visa, Same Applies to ESTA"

First Meeting of Korea-U.S. Visa Working Group
Reaffirmed and to Announce
Permission for Investment Companies to Inspect and Maintain Equipment in the U.S.

South Korea and the United States have agreed to establish a dedicated desk as a communication channel to resolve visa-related difficulties faced by Korean companies seeking to invest in the United States, following the recent detention of Korean workers in Georgia. The two countries also reaffirmed that domestic companies can carry out equipment installation, inspection, and maintenance activities required for U.S. investments using short-term business (B-1) visas and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), and agreed to publicly announce this information.

Yonhap News Agency

On October 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, on September 30 (local time), it officially launched the "Korea-U.S. Business Visit and Visa Working Group" in Washington, D.C., and held the first round of consultations, resulting in this agreement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "Both South Korea and the United States share the understanding that institutional measures to ensure smooth personnel exchanges are essential for the stable U.S. investments of our companies, which contribute to the revival of the U.S. economy and manufacturing sector." The meeting was attended by Jeong Kihong, the Korean government representative for Overseas Korean Protection and Consular Affairs, and Kevin Kim, a senior official from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as chief delegates for each side.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two countries clarified the scope of activities permitted under the B-1 visa, reflecting the operational needs of Korean companies. The U.S. side reaffirmed that Korean companies can use the B-1 visa for installation, inspection, and maintenance of overseas-purchased equipment required for U.S. investments, and stated that the same activities are permitted for those entering the U.S. under ESTA as for B-1 visa holders.

Given that, among the 317 Koreans detained in Georgia on September 4, 170 held ESTA and 146 held B-1 or short-term tourist (B-2) visas, this measure is seen as a demonstration of the U.S. commitment to resolving visa issues to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

The two countries agreed to announce these details in an official fact sheet through relevant external channels in the near future.

In addition, the two countries will establish a dedicated desk (tentatively named the Korean Investor Desk) at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to serve as a communication channel for visa issues faced by Korean companies investing in the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The dedicated desk is scheduled to begin operating within this month," adding, "The U.S. authorities will announce further details through the U.S. Embassy in Seoul website and other channels."

The two countries also agreed, based on the Korean side’s proposal, to establish mutual points of contact and closely cooperate between Korean diplomatic missions in the U.S. and the regional offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, regarding the Korean side’s request for more fundamental institutional reforms, the U.S. side responded that "given practical legislative constraints, this is a difficult issue," but stated that it would continue to review possible measures going forward.

The U.S. Department of State announced in a press release that Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State, emphasized in his opening remarks at the meeting that "South Korea is one of the United States’ major investor countries." The Department of State added, "Deputy Secretary Landau reaffirmed the United States' commitment to welcoming and encouraging investment from South Korea, and highlighted the critical role of skilled personnel in ensuring the success of such investments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.