Washington: South Korea and the United States are set to establish a working group this week aimed at improving the visa system for Korean workers. This initiative follows the recent detention and subsequent release of over 300 South Koreans during a U.S. immigration raid, as reported by diplomatic sources.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the inaugural meeting of this working group will take place in Washington on Tuesday. The decision comes in the wake of a raid in Georgia, where more than 300 South Korean workers at a factory construction site were detained for a week due to unclear visa rule violations. Following diplomatic negotiations, these workers were released.

The working group will be spearheaded by Seoul's foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Commerce Department also expected to participate. The primary agenda is to explore improvements to the U.S. visa system specifically for South Korean workers, especially as Korean companies are increasingly involved in large-scale manufacturing projects in the United States.

The incident in Georgia involved many workers who had entered the U.S. using a B1 visa, intended for business purposes, or under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waiver program for short-term stays. Discussions are anticipated to address the flexibility of the B1 visa application, potentially clarifying its scope to better accommodate South Korean business people's needs without necessitating changes to the existing visa system.

Furthermore, there is a possibility of establishing a dedicated visa desk at the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. to assist Koreans involved in U.S. investments, as indicated by the sources.