South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced on Friday that the government is prioritizing the resolution of visa-related challenges faced by Korean workers in the United States before moving forward with a $350 billion investment package tied to a bilateral trade agreement. This decision follows a recent U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant in Georgia, which led to the arrest of hundreds of South Korean workers. While most workers have since returned to South Korea, the incident has sparked calls from businesses for a new visa category to facilitate the entry of skilled Korean workers to assist in setting up factories and training U.S. employees. Minister Cho emphasized that visa policy adjustments are not a ‘precondition’ for the U.S. investments in strategic industries. Separately, Cho expressed optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit, hosted by South Korea in late October. During his recent visit to Beijing, Cho conveyed South Korea’s interest in discussing cultural cooperation with China at the APEC meetings. This comes amid China’s decade-long restrictions on Korean entertainment content, such as K-pop, in response to the deployment of the U.S.-led Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. Beijing has argued that THAAD’s radar capabilities could compromise its airspace security, further straining bilateral relations.