By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter
Six U.S. Congressmen Thursday submitted a bill aimed at allowing South Koreans to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa, according to reports Friday.
The bill claims South Korea should be included in the visa waver program under which citizens from 27 countries are currently exempted from having to obtain a visa before visiting the U.S.
Three Asian countries including Japan, Singapore and Brunei will benefit from the program, which allows travelers to stay up to 90 days in the U.S. without a visa.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Jim Moran (Democrat-Virginia), Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Michael Capuano (D-Massachusetts), Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) and Thaddeus McCotter (Republican, Michigan).
``Economically, militarily and politically, the U.S. and South Korea share a vision of freedom and democracy that has made our nations solid friends and allies,’’ Rep. Moran said in a statement released to the press.
He cited the fact that South Korea has dispatched the third largest contingent to Iraq, and is the 11th largest economy in the world and seventh biggest trading partner of the U.S.
South Korea’s 3,260-strong deployment is the third largest in the war-torn country after the United States with 150,000 soldiers and Britain with 8,500.
The slow visa-issuing process has long been a source of frustration for South Koreans planning short-term U.S. trips, with applicants often having to wait some two months.
``In recognition of this friendship and the fact that the South Korean government has taken aggressive steps to comply with post-Sept. 11 security requirements to combat visa fraud, the time has come to welcome them into our visa waiver program,’’ he said.
The percentage of those applicants who were rejected by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, one of the major requirements to be included in the visa waiver program, stood at around 3.3 percent in 2004, according to the embassy. The U.S. government requires the rate to be brought below 3 percent.
Applicants aged 55 or older and newlywed couples who wish to make their honeymoon trip to Hawaii have been subject to a more simplified visa application process since Sept. 15.
In April, the U.S. Embassy announced it has enhanced facilities and hired new administrative staff in an effort to speed up the visa application process for South Koreans, targeting to process about 400,000 cases this year and more than 500,000 in 2006. The figures compare with 350,000 applicants last year.
More than 626,000 Koreans visit the U.S. each year, spending around $1 billion in 2004, according to a U.S. Commerce Department tally.
things@koreatimes.co.kr
댓글 안에 당신의 성숙함도 담아 주세요.
'오늘의 한마디'는 기사에 대하여 자신의 생각을 말하고 남의 생각을 들으며 서로 다양한 의견을 나누는 공간입니다. 그러나 간혹 불건전한 내용을 올리시는 분들이 계셔서 건전한 인터넷문화 정착을 위해 아래와 같은 운영원칙을 적용합니다.
자체 모니터링을 통해 아래에 해당하는 내용이 포함된 댓글이 발견되면 예고없이 삭제 조치를 하겠습니다.
불건전한 댓글을 올리거나, 이름에 비속어 및 상대방의 불쾌감을 주는 단어를 사용, 유명인 또는 특정 일반인을 사칭하는 경우 이용에 대한 차단 제재를 받을 수 있습니다. 차단될 경우, 일주일간 댓글을 달수 없게 됩니다.
명예훼손, 개인정보 유출, 욕설 등 법률에 위반되는 댓글은 관계 법령에 의거 민형사상 처벌을 받을 수 있으니 이용에 주의를 부탁드립니다.
Close
x