S. Koreans Still Flocking to U.S.

“Drawing the Line: Visa Frustrations Prompt South Koreans to Take Money Elsewhere” (Sept. 12) was incorrect in implying the visa requirement discourages South Koreans traveling to the United States.

On the contrary, as your own statistics show, the number of visitors from South Korea has more than doubled in the last five years. In fiscal year 1995, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul issued over 400,000 non-immigrant visas, more than any other U.S. Embassy worldwide. Korean tourism to the U.S. has risen at least 20% annually over the last six years. More than 730,000 Koreans are expected to visit the U.S. this year.

Our embassy is struggling to keep up with this enormous increase in demand for service during a time of downsizing and budget cuts and is pioneering several innovations to save time and labor. At the same time, our visa officers must always hold the security of our borders against illegal immigration as an equally high priority.

Unfortunately, illegal immigration from South Korea continues to be a significant problem. Smugglers use stolen Korean passports to bring illegal immigrants to the U.S., and fraud rings are constantly intercepted selling fraudulent visas to South Koreans who wish to enter the U.S. illegally. While the refusal rate for South Koreans applying for non-immigrant visas continues to decline as prosperity increases, it still does not meet the requirements set by the U.S. Congress for inclusion in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program at this time.

MARY A. RYAN

Assistant Secretary of State

for Consular Affairs