An analysis from the U.S. Congress said the incident in which more than 300 Korean workers were arrested and detained by U.S. immigration authorities at a battery factory construction site in Georgia is hurting South Korea-U.S. relations.
In its report, Korea: Background and U.S. Relations, released on the 12th local time, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said, "Despite the positive atmosphere of the first summit between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae-myung, challenges may remain for South Korea-U.S. relations," adding, "Immigration enforcement operations conducted on Sept. 4 at a manufacturing plant in Georgia sparked Korean concerns about the bilateral relationship."
It added that "it also heightened questions about whether U.S. immigration policy may conflict with the U.S. goal of expanding U.S. manufacturing jobs through foreign investment."
The CRS said a bill to provide high-skilled visas to Korean nationals is pending in Congress. The bill was reintroduced in July by Korean American Republican Rep. Young Kim and would issue up to 15,000 E-4 professional employment visas annually to Koreans.
As another challenge to South Korea-U.S. relations, it pointed to the Trump administration's move to reposition U.S. Forces Korea to check China. The CRS assessed that because of this move, "the president's stated intent during the election to avoid provoking 'unnecessary hostility (with China)' could become complicated."
It also added, "Many Korean experts have expressed concern that President Trump may skip Korea in the process of formulating North Korea policy."
Regarding the South Korea-U.S. summit held at the White House on the 25th of last month, the CRS said that although the two leaders made no particular announcements, they emphasized the strength and importance of the relationship. However, it assessed that the meeting left potential alliance issues unresolved, including defense cost-sharing, U.S. troop levels in Korea, and responses to China, including the Taiwan situation.