A senior U.S. State Department official expressed deep regret over the recent mass detention of Koreans in the United States and stated an intention to prevent a recurrence and improve the system.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 14th that a Korea-U.S. vice foreign ministers' meeting was held at the Seoul government complex between First Vice Minister Park Yun-joo and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
At the meeting, Deputy Secretary Landau said, "I express deep regret over the occurrence of this situation," and added, "Let us use this situation as a turning point to improve the system and strengthen Korea-U.S. relations."
In particular, Landau said, "President Trump is also paying close attention to this issue," and emphasized, "There will be no disadvantage when the returnees reenter the United States, and we will work to ensure that no similar incidents occur in the future."
Landau also said, "Korean corporations' investment activities in the United States greatly contribute to the revival of the U.S. economy and manufacturing," and added, "Let us proceed expeditiously with working-level consultations so that visas commensurate with the contributions of Korean workers can be issued."
Vice Minister Park, referring to the detentions, said, "I regret that not only the workers in question but also our people were deeply shocked by this situation," and strongly urged, "We must take practical measures to prevent a recurrence and improve the system to ease public anxiety."
Park then proposed accelerating follow-up measures, including the creation of a working group between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Department to discuss eliminating disadvantages when returnees reenter the United States and establishing a Korea-tailored visa category, as well as opening a counseling window for visa-related inquiries.