Trump must resolve Korean worker visa crisis for sake of alliance

The recent mass detention of more than 300 Korean workers at the construction site of a Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia has revealed a critical vulnerability in the Korea-U.S. economic partnership. These workers, most of them highly skilled technicians sent from Korea to support the final stages of construction at the nearly completed facility, were detained by U.S. immigration authorities due to alleged visa irregularities. Although the workers have since returned to Korea, construction at the plant remains effectively frozen, highlighting the urgent need for policy intervention.

While LG Energy Solution has expressed its commitment to resuming work and minimizing disruption, the broader implications of this crisis cannot be ignored. At its core lies the chronic dysfunction of the U.S. visa system, which has increasingly obstructed Korean firms from mobilizing technical experts essential for U.S.-based manufacturing operations. This is not an isolated administrative failure; it is a structural flaw that threatens the future of joint industrial projects between the two close allies.

It is time for U.S. President Donald Trump to step forward with a solution. If he is serious about revitalizing American manufacturing and securing strategic supply chains, he must address this visa crisis head-on. An executive order easing visa restrictions for qualified Korean technical personnel, especially in the battery, electric vehicle (EV) and semiconductor sectors, would be a bold and necessary move.

Korean companies have made massive commitments to the U.S. economy. The Hyundai-LG battery plant alone is part of a broader wave of Korean investment that surpasses $350 billion, covering everything from EVs to clean energy infrastructure. These projects support tens of thousands of American jobs and align closely with U.S. industrial and national security priorities. Yet Washington's inability -- or unwillingness -- to ensure the smooth entry of essential Korean workers risks derailing this cooperation at a critical juncture.

This visa issue is unfolding alongside another flashpoint in bilateral relations: the stalled tariff negotiations. Talks that once appeared close to resolution, with Korea offering substantial investments in exchange for a reduction in proposed tariffs, have hit a wall. U.S. demands for excessive control over investment flows and profit structures have understandably raised concerns in Seoul. The resulting frustration has fueled calls within Korea to walk away from negotiations entirely and brace for the full 25 percent tariff.

Such a breakdown would be damaging to both sides. Fortunately, officials like Korea's National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac have signaled a more measured approach, stressing the importance of balance and realism. But diplomacy must be matched with action. Restoring trust begins with resolving tangible issues, starting with the visa bottleneck.

The current immigration framework was not designed to accommodate the realities of 21st-century industrial cooperation. The Korean workers are mission-critical personnel executing technical tasks that U.S. companies themselves cannot fulfill. Denying them entry hurts not only Korean firms but also delays American job creation and undercuts U.S. competitiveness.

Trump has long positioned himself as a champion of American industry. But industry does not grow in a vacuum. It requires skilled labor, global integration and trusted partnerships. Fixing the Korean visa issue through executive action would send a powerful message: that the U.S. is open for business, serious about high-tech manufacturing and committed to its allies.

Moreover, addressing this issue would help offset growing skepticism in Korea about the reliability of the U.S. as a partner. Alliance management in today's global economy means more than joint military exercises; it means solving problems together, especially when one side is making good-faith investments on an unprecedented scale.

In an era of rising geopolitical tensions and shifting economic alliances, the Korea-U.S. relationship should serve as a model of strategic cooperation. But that cooperation cannot flourish if red tape and bureaucratic inertia are allowed to override common sense and shared interests.

Trump should act now. An executive order resolving the Korean worker visa crisis would be more than a political gesture -- it would be a strategic reset, revitalizing one of America's most important alliances and reinforcing its manufacturing future.

Executive order for visa solution - The Korea Times