SEOUL– LG Energy Solution Ltd., one of the world’s leading battery makers, announced Thursday that it will gradually restart employee business trips to the United States later this month, about a month after dozens of its workers were detained in Georgia.
The company had suspended all travel following a September 4 U.S. immigration raid at the construction site of its joint Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution battery plant. The raid led to the detention of 47 LG employees and roughly 250 subcontractor workers, according to Yonhap news agency.
LG Energy Solution said the decision to resume trips was made after a working group meeting earlier this week in which officials from Seoul and Washington clarified what activities are permitted under B-1 short-term business visas.
Under the agreement, Korean companies may use B-1 visas for activities tied to their U.S. investments, including installing, servicing, and repairing equipment purchased from abroad. Workers entering through the ESTA program may also perform these activities.
The company emphasized that employee safety will remain the top priority and said it will provide systemic support for workers. LG Energy Solution currently operates or is constructing seven plants across the U.S.
“We will do our best to create a safe environment for business trips and to normalize plant construction in the U.S. in order to maintain trust with customers,” the company said in a statement.
To further support South Korean businesses, the U.S. government will establish a dedicated desk at its embassy in Seoul next month to address visa concerns. The plan emerged from the inaugural meeting of the South Korea–U.S. “Business Travel and Visa Working Group” in Washington, which followed the detention of more than 310 Korean workers.
The working group discussions were led by Jung Ki-hong, Korea’s representative for overseas nationals protection and consular affairs, and Kevin Kim, the U.S. State Department’s senior bureau official for East Asian and Pacific affairs. (Source: IANS)
