WASHINGTON-- A senior U.S. official will visit South Korea to discuss consular affairs, the state department said Wednesday, amid U.S. efforts to normalize consular services that had been limited by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rena Bitter, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, will travel to South Korea, Thailand and Qatar from Wednesday through next Friday, according to the state department.
"While in Seoul, she will meet with government officials to discuss a variety of consular issues, including the prevention and resolution of international parental child abduction cases," it said in a press release.
"Her trip underscores our deep and sustained commitment to the protection of U.S. citizens overseas and the facilitation of legitimate travel and immigration to the United States," it added.
U.S. visa application processing time had significantly increased in nearly all countries, including South Korea, during the pandemic.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price has said the U.S. is working successfully to lower visa wait times worldwide and that it soon expects to reach "pre-pandemic processing levels."
Source: Yonhap News Agency