Portrait of Lee Jae Myung
Politician · policy
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Lee Jae Myung on Immigration

Visa reform advocate (strong)

TL;DR

Lee Jae Myung strongly advocates for US visa system reform to protect Korean investors and workers following a recent U.S. detention incident.

Key Points

  • He called for improvements to the U.S. visa system following the September 2025 detention of South Korean workers at a Hyundai facility in Georgia.

  • Lee stated that the lack of a proper visa system for skilled workers will cause South Korean companies to hesitate on making direct investments in the U.S.

  • Domestically, his administration is pushing an immigration strategy to attract more highly skilled foreign workers, moving away from reliance on low-skilled labor attraction.

Summary

Lee Jae Myung's recent public stance on immigration has been primarily framed through the lens of international business and worker protections following a significant U.S. immigration enforcement action. Following the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers at a construction site in Georgia by U.S. authorities in September 2025, he publicly stated that Korean companies would hesitate to invest further in the United States without an improved, specialized visa system for their skilled personnel. He characterized the incident as revealing a cultural difference in handling immigration and pressed for discussions on a new visa category to accommodate technicians and skilled workers needed for industrial site setups, suggesting this has a major impact on future investment decisions.

Domestically, the administration has indicated a broader, forward-looking strategy involving immigration policy, which includes a plan to move away from a model centered on low-skilled labor attraction. The stated domestic goal for immigration policy under his administration is to be designed on the basis of maintaining legal order and securing public consensus. This domestic framework also includes efforts to attract highly skilled workers, such as broadening eligibility for high-tech visas and introducing new categories for international graduates.

Key Quotes

“I will build a Republic of Korea in which overseas Koreans — living not only on our soil but across the world — can proudly and confidently say they are citizens of Korea.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Lee Jae Myung's position on immigration is currently most visible in his strong advocacy for reforming the U.S. visa system to better accommodate South Korean business investments and technical staff. Domestically, his administration is focused on overhauling policy to attract highly skilled workers in response to demographic challenges. He stresses that any policy must maintain legal order and secure public consensus.

The provided information primarily details recent, strong statements concerning international visa issues rather than a long-term domestic policy evolution. His administration has outlined a forward-looking strategy for South Korea’s domestic immigration policy to shift focus towards high-skilled workers. The reaction to the U.S. raid in 2025 shows a firm stance on worker protection and reciprocal visa treatment.

Lee Jae Myung condemned the mass detention of South Korean workers at a Georgia factory in September 2025, calling it an incident that must not be repeated. He asserted that such enforcement actions, combined with the absence of a suitable visa system, will negatively impact future South Korean investment in the United States. He raised the issue directly with U.S. lawmakers.