America has been enriched by the KoreanAmerican communitys many contributions. and its existence has bonded us even closer to the Korean peninsula across the Pacific. It should come as no surprise. then. that the United States is also a popular destination for travelers from South Korea. whether they are coming here to visit their tamily members who have become part of the American community. attending U.S. colleges and universities. or meeting with business colleagues in the pursuit of greater trade and investment. The U.S. consular section at our Embassy in Seoul is the busiest nonimmigrant visa issuing post in the world. processing between 1.800 and 2.000 visa applications each day. It is clear that South Koreans want to visit the United States. and they have good reasons for doing so. There are currently efforts underway to bring South Korea under the umbrella of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. which already applies to 27 other countries. including the United Kingdom. France. Canada. and Japan. This program. established in 1986 with the objective of promoting better relations with U.S. allies. also eliminates unnecessary barriers to travel. stimulates the tourism industry. and permits the U.S. Department of State to focus consular resources in other areas. The South Korean government has made it clear that it intends to meet all of the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Visa Waiver Program. Seoul is working with the Departments of Homeland Security. Justice. and State in a diligent fashion to make sure that relevant South Korean govemmental agencies have implemented the most uptodate passport controls. using biometric and other technologies to prevent fraud and abuse. Mr. Speaker. I am almost certain that the Republic of Koreas entry into the Visa Waiver Program will be one of the topics discussed by President Roh and President Bush during their summit meeting this month. There are. of course. other issues that certainly will be discussed at the White House by President Bush and President Roh. including the free trade negotiations. North Korean nuclear weapons development. and South Koreas active participation in the global War on Terrorism and its contributions to the war effort in Iraq.
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visa Visa