President Lee Jae Myung Urges U.S. Visa Reform and Pledges Greater Defense Autonomy in High-Level Talks with Senators

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung calls for U.S. visa changes and outlines a plan for military self-reliance during talks with a bipartisan U.S. Senate delegation.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 2, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from CNA

Diplomatic Push for Specialized Professional Visas

The Blue House has confirmed that President Lee Jae Myung is aggressively lobbying for the "Partner with Korea Act," a legislative effort to create dedicated work visas for South Korean professionals. This move follows a series of controversial immigration raids at a Hyundai Motor facility in Georgia last year, which resulted in the detention of several Korean nationals. Lee emphasized that for South Korea’s massive investment packages in U.S. manufacturing to succeed, the U.S. Congress must ensure stable residency conditions and prevent legal interruptions for the skilled workforce driving these projects.

Strategic Shift Toward Wartime Operational Control

In a significant statement on regional security, President Lee informed the U.S. delegation that South Korea is ready to shoulder a more substantial role in its own defense. The administration is aiming to finalize the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) by 2030. Lee noted that it is increasingly appropriate for Seoul to defend the peninsula primarily with its own capabilities, thereby reducing the strategic and financial burden on the United States. This transition is contingent upon South Korea meeting specific military capability milestones currently being evaluated by both nations.

Defense Spending and Industrial Cooperation

The meeting highlighted the deepening industrial-military bond between the two allies, with U.S. Republican Senator John Curtis welcoming Seoul's pledge to purchase $25 billion worth of American weaponry by 2030. Additionally, South Korea is planning large-scale investments in U.S. shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors. These economic commitments are viewed as a stabilizing force in the relationship, even as the two countries navigate the complexities of military restructuring and the rising costs of maintaining a permanent U.S. troop presence.