Korea steps up pressure on US over tariffs, visa dispute

Korea is intensifying pressure on the United States over unresolved visa issues and stalled negotiations on a $350 billion investment package, signaling that Seoul will not yield to Washington’s demands without protecting its own interests. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday that Korean companies’ projects in the U.S. will remain in limbo until the visa issue is resolved. “Without resolving the visa issue, meaningful progress is virtually impossible,” he said. His comments came after more than 300 Korean workers were detained in a raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia earlier this month. The workers were released a week later. Kim stressed that, although the projects have not been fully suspended, difficulties remain. “Many workers will find it extremely difficult to enter or reenter the U.S. until this problem is settled, he said, adding that the visa dispute “has also cast a cloud over the $350 billion investment package agreed upon in July.” He emphasized that workers and their families canWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times