Case meets in D.C. with Republic of Korea Ambassador to United States
They discuss free trade, visa waiver program, and family reunification

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ed Case today said free trade, the visa waiver program, and family reunification between Korean-Americans and North Korea were among the issues he discussed today during a meeting in Washington, D.C. with Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States Lee Tae-Sik.

Lee requested the meeting with Case to talk primarily on trade issues, as the United States and Republic of Korea advance economic relations that they hope will produce a bilateral free trade agreement by 2007.

“The Republic of Korea is our nation’s seventh largest trading partner and a growing force in the world economy,” said Case, who met with Lee in his Washington, D.C. office. “The United States must continue to grow our economic relationship with the Republic of Korea for the benefit of our country and our Hawaii, which is home to thousands of Korean-Americans and companies interested in doing business with Korea. I assured Ambassador Lee that I support free trade in general, and also support, in principle, a free trade agreement with the Republic of Korea.

“Our nations together have been making good progress in resolving outstanding trade issues. The U.S. has been a largely-open market for Korean goods and services, but a free trade agreement would seek a much-needed reduction in Korea’s average applied tariff of 11.2 percent which is three times greater than the U.S. average of 3.7 percent. A free trade agreement would also benefit U.S. agricultural producers and farmers, who now face even higher tariffs on agriculture products in seeking access to the Korean market, and possibly loosen constraints on U.S. exports of manufactured goods and services.”

Case also told Lee that he is cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 4304) that designates the Republic of Korea as a country to be included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program which eases the entry of foreign nationals from 27 designated countries into the United States when they come to visit for business, personal or tourism purposes. Lee thanked Case for his support on this major issue in U.S. Korean relations.

“Koreans want to visit the United States much more for personal and business purposes, but our visa application process discourages many South Korean citizens from doing so. Recent efforts by the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul have significantly reduced the overall wait times South Koreans face when applying for visas, but more must be done. Bringing Korea into our Visa Waiver Program, as is currently the case for major business and visitor travel from other nations like Japan, would produce clear economic benefits for our country and Hawaii.”

A 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries reported that South Korean tourists and travelers spent nearly $2.2 billion during their stay in the United States in 2004, an average of $3,500 per visitor. Should South Korea join the Visa Waiver Program, every increase in100,000 South Korean visitors to the United States would represent nearly $350 million in domestic revenue.

“South Korea has already repealed its own visa requirement for U.S. citizens traveling to the Republic of Korea for 30 days or less, and it currently enjoys visa-free status with 66 other nations,” said Case. “It also has met virtually all requirements for eligibility for visa waiver status.”

Case said he also discussed with Lee the Saemsori Project, an effort by the nonprofit Eugene Bell Foundation to facilitate the reunification of Korean-Americans in Hawaii and across the country with relatives still in North Korea which has had its borders closed since 1950.

“The Ambassador told me that his country’s efforts to reunite families with relatives in North Korea, largely on a case-by-case basis, have met with some success because they have made the proper contacts in North Korea. This may indicate that North Korea is open to discussing this issue with the Saemsori Project, which gives us hope for future family reunions between Korean-Americans and relatives in North Korea.” Case is on record with other members of Congress in advocating for increased attention by our country to this longstanding issue with North Korea.