Seoul: Senior diplomats from South Korea and the United States convened on Thursday to discuss the implementation of joint summit agreements and enhance cooperation on U.S. visa matters for South Korean workers, as reported by the foreign ministry. The discussions were led by Park Jong-han, South Korea's deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, and Jonathan Fritz, the U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Fritz visited Seoul this week to engage in follow-up talks on U.S. visa reform. This initiative aims to better support Korean workers entering the U.S., a measure prompted by the arrest and detention of over 300 Korean workers during a U.S. immigration crackdown in Georgia last year. The meeting also served as a platform for Seoul to assure Washington of its commitment to the US$350 billion investment in the U.S., following warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding potential tariff hikes due to limited legislative progress at the National Assembly.

Deputy Minister Park emphasized the South Korean government's dedication to implementing follow-up steps from the South Korea-U.S. summits. He suggested maintaining close communication between the diplomatic authorities of both nations. The ministry noted that Park also requested Washington's continued support to facilitate smooth business exchanges for Korean firms investing in the U.S.

During the visa working group talks on Wednesday, the U.S. introduced a new criterion for "specialized trainers" applying for short-term B-1 business visas. This change is anticipated to provide clearer guidelines for visa eligibility, addressing concerns raised by South Korean businesses about ambiguous U.S. visa regulations that have caused confusion for employees traveling on business.

Furthermore, the discussions included efforts to ensure that Korean investors can smoothly execute their U.S. investments in sectors such as shipbuilding and other strategic industries.