Group seeks easier U.S. travel for South Koreans

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

A member of a group that wants an easing of restrictions for South Koreans traveling to Hawai'i will meet with U.S. Embassy officials this week in Seoul, South Korea, to learn what is impeding the approval of tourist visas for those travelers.

Jackie Young, co-chairwoman of the Korean Visa Waiver Committee, said she is traveling to South Korea tomorrow to attend the Global Summit of Women and will have the embassy meeting during her stay.

Young said it's a small step toward gaining a "visa waiver" status for Koreans, similar to what's enjoyed by tourists from Japan and 26 other countries. One reason South Korea doesn't qualify as a visa-waiver country is that about 5 percent of tourist visa applications are denied, she said; visa-waiver countries must have refusal rates of no more than 3 percent.

Once the rate is reduced, she said, the committee can press the State Department to reverse financing cuts that forced the closure of the embassy office in Pusan, South Korea, and slowed the processing of visas. Potential visitors to Hawai'i have been opting for other destinations because of the inconvenience associated with the visa applications, Young said.

For its part, she added, the South Korean government should begin issuing passports in the next few years that are machine-readable, easing the long waits passengers now endure in airport security lines.

Young also cited the passage of a related House resolution as another step. The resolution supports the visa waiver for South Korea as well as the restoration of money that had been cut and, she said, will help the committee gain more backing elsewhere.

"We need to get the support of other states where there is a large Korean population," she said. "We're willing to do the work behind the scenes."

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.