Should Korea Be Given Visa Waivers?
Here is an article from the Heritage Foundation that tackles the issue of if Korea should be entered into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Here is why Korea currently is not eligible for the VWP:
The ROK is currently ineligible for the VWP because the refusal rate for nonimmigrant visas for its citizens exceeds the 3 percent maximum allowed under the VWP. The ROK’s refusal rate currently hovers just below 4 percent. [1] Because South Korea is not a VWP member, South Koreans must endure a complicated and protracted process to obtain a tourist or business visa, which has unfortunately contributed to growing animosity towards the United States.
The Heritage Foundation thinks this issue contributes to anti-Americanism in Korea. Trust me, we could enter Korea into the VWP tomorrow and it would change nothing here about the image of the United States. What I’m most concerned about with this issue is fair play with other countries. If the State Department drops it’s standards for VWP for Korea why couldn’t other countries like Pakistan demand the same treatment for helping the US in the War on Terror? Here is the Heritage Foundations arguement for Korea entering the VWP:
These unwieldy visa regulations are a stark con?trast to the strong U.S.–ROK military alliance and trade relationship. The ROK has proven itself a staunch ally of the United States by deploying 3,600 troops to Iraq, the second largest non-U.S. coalition presence after Great Britain. South Korea is also the United States’ seventh-largest trading partner, accounting for more than $70 billion in total bilateral trade in 2004.
The ROK-US alliance at the military level I would agree is still strong. US and ROK Army officers and soldiers work well together, no doubt it. However, at the political level is where there are major problems in the US-ROK alliance. Also, Korea maybe the 3rd largest troop dispatch to Iraq, but what are they doing? Countries with less troops are doing more than Korea. Plus an alliance is a two way street. Korea sends 3,000+ soldiers to sit on an airfield in Northern Iraq every year to fix toilets and play Starcraft and the US sends 32,000+ soldiers to Korea every year to dance on top of taxi cabs. It all evens out to me.
Then the fact that Korea is the 7th largest trading partner does not hold much weight with me either because the majority of the trade is going from Korea to the US and the American goods coming into Korea are heavily taxed making most American products here something only the wealthy can afford creating a large trade imbalance between the two countries.
The visa requirements, while arguably necessary due to heightened security concerns in the post-9/11 world, have regrettably discouraged Koreans from vis?iting the United States. Although the total number of Korean tourists traveling abroad in 2004 increased by 27 percent from the previous year, the number of South Korean visitors to the United States decreased by 5 percent, and the number of South Koreans applying for nonimmigrant visas to the United States dropped from 420,000 in 2003 to 360,000 in 2004.
I don’t foresee the US tourism industry collapsing because a few less Koreans are going to the Grand Canyon. I think the US tourism industry will be alright.
The onerous process of obtaining a visa has also inadvertently aggravated anti-American senti?ments, thwarting Washington’s public diplomacy efforts in South Korea.
Like I said before bending the rules and letting Korea into the VWP will not significantly change the image of America here in Korea. Finally the Hertitage Foundation thinks the VWP would reduce the work load of the US Embassy in Seoul.
These requirements have made the U.S. consular section in Seoul the largest U.S. nonimmigrant visa processing post in the world—processing an aver?age of nearly 2,000 visas per day and straining the embassy’s financial and human resources.
If you ever get a chance swing by the US Embassy sometime and see what a mad house that place is every day. The line to get in there stretches for quite a distance. I always find it interesting about how the same people who complain about the US all the time are probably the same people standing in line for two hours to just get in the US Embassy to apply for a Visa to come to the US.
The Heritage Foundation makes a good arguement but some of the points they bring up are common points many Koreans bring up about how they support America, but once you closely scrutinize them the contributions though commendable are not as noteworthy as one is led to believe. I’m of the opinion that the US has a system in place with a set standard. Meet the standard if you want in.
This issue is made to look like America is the bad guys for not letting the Korea into the VWP. It is not just Koreans. Anyone who doesn’t meet the standard is not allowed in. Korea is not being singled out or prevented from entering the VWP, they just need to work harder to meet the standards set by US law. I don’t see any reason why we should bend the rules solely for Korea. If Korea meets the standards then I say let them in and end the chaos at the US Embassy. I’m sure the employees there would be greatly relieved along with everyone else that has ever had to wait in a line there for two hours.
GI, the Heritage organization is not advocating the bending of rules to let the Koreans in without visas. You obviously missed this part or you purposely ommitted it:
"Even when a country meets the criteria for VWP membership, inclusion is not automatic. In the interests of both the United States and South Korea, the Bush Administration should prioritize the inclu-sion of South Korea in the VWP as soon as it meets the requirements."
Notice the phrase, "as soon as it meets the requirements". That is not the same as "bending the rules". Furthermore, the article grossly overestimates US visa rule for Koreans being one of the strong factors of antiamericanism in Korea.
Let's think outside of the box for a moment.
GI, how do you know all that the Zaitun unit is doing is installing toilets and playing starcraft? Have you visited their camps? Worked with them and seen for yourself what they do all day? How do you know about them so much, when there's a voluntary blackout in the Korean media, with scant information designed to keep a low profile so that they don't piss off the Arabs and left wing protesters in Korea? Frankly I think not inviting publicity and terrorists on yourself in this case is a very shrewd move if you ask me.
I'm not saying you're right or wrong, just want to know how you know so much about the Zaitun unit and their current missions.
Their own media and the Zaytun unit itself. They do have a website you can check out. The Zaytun unit used to provide health care service in Irbil but they suspended all those service after a minor mortar attack on their compound.
http://jetiranger.tripod.com/BLOG/index.blog?entr…
The UN asked the Koreans if they would be willing to spare 50 men to guard a compound in Irbil. The Koreans accepted the request partially and the Mongolian contingent was given the task to provide personal security for the UN personnel and are living on the Zaytun base.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200507/14/20050714…
Also, the ROK Army does not even guard their own base. The Kurdish peshmerga soldiers guard the base for them. I made the comment about Starcraft because when the base was first built it was mentioned that a complete high speed internet cafe was one of the first things built for the soldiers. The toilet comment is from the Zaytun unit installing toilets in Irbil:
http://jetiranger.tripod.com/BLOG/index.blog?entr…
The Zaytun unit can be doing a lot more in Iraq and they are not because the political leadership doesn't want any casualties. It is not the Zaytun unit's fault. I'm sure they would willing to do more because ROK Army is a highly capable military but they are limited by their political leadership who are keeping them there to make sure Korean businesses get reconstruction contracts in the future.
Can you imagine all the koerans who will go to usa and never return to korea? There will be a flood of korean trash. Then, they will resort to crime, like in japan.
So what if koeans have to get a visa. FUCK THEM. I only wish we could do somthing about all the Koreans in the USA now. Look at all the kyopos who are in the USA and who hate the usa. Koreans only take take take.
If you look at the incarceration rate of Korean Americans (or any Asian Americans) and compare that to regular 'real' white Americans, you will notice that the 'real' white Americans' incarceration rate far outrate the incarcerated Korean Americans. Who are the real criminals who commit more crime just by looking at the stats, which something you obviously don't have for to back up your statement.
Tom, where did you read anything about "crime" in GI's comments? You obviously have an axe to grind with the US, and now it seems with "white" people as well.
I'm assuming now, based upon your comments and writing style, that you are either a Korean who was educated in the States, or an actual Korean-American. You've somehow been wronged by the system and have a score to settle. Am I right?
Other than their tendency to crawl up into a "Koreatown" somewhere and hide out, I believe Koreans have been very productive members of American society. If you are old enough, think back to the LA riots. One of the main sources of friction between African-Americans and Korean-Americans at the time was the latter's ability to come to the United States with little or nothing and do well for themselves, despite having to endure similar hardships.
The Heritage Foundation is an American extension of the British Tavistock Institute — the Tavistock Institute is very near to the site of the British bombings, allowing close observations of human behavior when being terrorized.
Heritage Foundation, Center of Strategic and International Studies at Georgetown, where State Dept. personal are trained, US Air Force Intelligence, and the Rand and Mitre corporations. The personnel of the corporations are required to undergo indoctrination at one or more of these Tavistock controlled institutions. A network of secret groups, the Mont Pelerin Society, Trilateral Commission, Ditchley Foundation, and the Club of Rome is conduit for instructions to the Tavistock network.
Tavistock Institute originated the mass civilian bombing raids carried out by Roosevelt and Churchill as a clinical experiment in mass terror, keeping records of the results as they watched the "guinea pigs" reacting under "controlled laboratory conditions".
Possibly this is what is happening currently in London.
All Tavistock and American foundation techniques have a single goal—to break down the psychological strength of the individual and render him helpless to oppose the manufacturers of public opinion. To make them weeping soldiers such as Lt. Gen. Campbell. Any technique which helps to break down the family unit, and family inculcated principles of religion, honor, patriotism and sexual behavior, is used by the Tavistock scientists as weapons of crowd control.
The Heritage Foundation's desire to infuse Koreans into American society is a necessary policy of destabilizing America with good old fashion Korean values: To degrade us all to into becoming self-absorbed easily-manipulated tele-tubbies — who can successfully operate liquor stores and piss-off blacks: worker bees for the global state.
It's a brave new world — the Korean virus will get you, don't fight it.
The national experiment of controlling a nation is being conducted in London — to fine tune it for America.
In a small brainwashing support group, a number of individuals from varying backgrounds and personalities, are manipulated by a "group leader" to form a "consensus" of opinion, achieving a new "group identity." The key to the process is the creation of a controlled environment, in which stress is introduced (sometimes called dissonance) to crack an individual's belief structure. Using the peer pressure of other group members, the individual is "cracked," and a new personality emerges with new values. The degrading experience causes the person to deny that any change has taken place. In that way, an individual is brainwashed without the victim knowing what has taken place.
On the mega-scale America — directed by Tavistock orientated think tanks — is purposely being flooded with different cultures — such as done in London, and being suggested by the Heritage Foundation (infusing America with Koreans). The media is acting as the group facilitator for London, and likewise — America. The controlled environment is having stressors introduced to facilitate a breakdown of stability (terror bombings to create dissonance). The facilitators create suggestions such as "we need to 'come together'(compromise)in values to create a global harmony".
The American and British character, therefore, becomes "cracked" and a new national personality emerges with new values — all done with a denial mechanism built in to maintain its continuance.
GI is a perfect example of this kind of institutional social engineering … but, there seems to be a glitch in his programming … he is beginning to question the system.
GI, when the Heritage Foundation says Koreans are loyal friends … shut your mouth and believe it.
Your job is to be British cannon fodder …. nothing more.
I don't know anything about incarceration rates and really don't care. What I care about is if Koreans immigrate legally to the US. Notice the word legally. Everyone should obey the laws and immigrate legally here. If you do that I don't got a problem with you because more than likely people with criminal records will be weeded out. America is a country shaped by immigrants including my own family because I am a first generation American myself. There is no reason we should deny Koreans the opportunity to immigrate to America.
From what I have seen of the Korean-American community they are extremely hard working, value education, and obey the law. I don't have any problems with people that do those three things. I will be willing to exchange them for some of these people you see on Jerry Springer all the time. I don't know about you but I don't see many Korean-Americans on Springer.
Rob, my background is Korean, sure, but I assure you I'm not a Korean American. It's interesting that you would accuse me of hating 'whitey's' for having the gull to respond to the person above. And I was only citing facts. The above person has misrepresented the facts by saying Korean Americans are a problematic criminal class. And I have pointed out that the facts paint a picture completely opposite. You can do the research yourself on the internet. The prison incarceration and arrest rates of Korean criminal class are extrememly lower than the American national average. You may even take a stroll down to your local prison and count how many Korean Americans are incarcerated. I'm pretty confident that there aren't too many.
I think the post you were originally replying to was nothing more than bait, trying to get a rise out of you, or someone else. I have no idea who that person is, and quite frankly blew those comments off. And contrary to what you may think, I applaud you for having the so called "gall" to respond to him. What I take issue with is the way in which you chose to do it.
You see, in your reply you compared Korean-American crime to crime committed by "real" Americans, "white" Americans. Those are your comments, not mine. So yes, of course, based on those comments I believe you have a problem with white people, especially the Grade A American type. Your comments were a blatant "dig" at race relations in the States and nothing more. You cannot deny that.
Instead of demanding that the United States admit to so called atrocities committed during the Korean War, why don't you admit to your hatred of the United States and white people, which is really your motivation for seeking the so called truth?
"tom" or should I call you dong hee, why dont you just admit you are a KYOPO. Why do KYOPOS like you pretend not to be Korean.
The 1975 Congressional investigation of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) activities in the U.S. noted a connection between Heritage and the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Edwin J. Feulner, Jr. was recruited in 1977 by Richard Scaife to become Heritage president, a position he holds today:
"The report of the investigation noted, 'In 1975, Ed Feulner … was introduced to KCIA station chief Kim Yung Hwan by Neil Salonen and Dan Feffernan of the Freedom Leadership foundation.' Salonen was head of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church in the United States. The Freedom Leadership Foundation (FLF), a political arm of Moon's Unification network was linked to the World Anti-Communist League (WACL). The FLF was described as 'an organization to be used to achieve KCIA objectives,' by the Congressional report, which was based on a KCIA document that discussed FLF." (8)
In the early 1980s, the KCIA began making donations to Heritage Foundation. In turn, Heritage established an Asian Studies Center which The Nation magazine of 1/23/89 states "has quartered apologists for [So. Korean Prime Minister] Chun's regime." (9)
The Wall Street Journal of August 1995 does not mention Sun Myung Moon, but references the Korea Foundation, one of Heritage's largest donors and an affiliate of the South Korean government. The article clearly states that Heritage Foundation promotes and actually writes pro-Korean legislation:
"Heritage scholars, for example, have drafted specific language for legislation that would help South Korea by encouraging the U.S. to include Seoul more directly in U.S. dealings with North Korea. Meantime, one of Heritage's largest donors, the Korea Foundation, is an affiliate of the South Korean government, according to Yoo Lee, a spokesman for South Korea's embassy here. Heritage's President Edwin Feulner says he isn't aware that the Korea Foundation is an arm of their government…
"While Heritage has gotten most of its attention on domestic issues, it also has been an active proponent for an array of trade and other policies supported by South Korea and Taiwan. Such efforts, it says, reflects "the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific community." In December, Heritage scholar Daryl Plunk provided language for a draft resolution, essentially calling for the administration to adopt a U.S. policy more in line with the wishes of South Korea, to Colorado GOP Rep. Scott McInnis. Rep McInnis, who last year was escorted on a trip to South Korea by Mr. Plunk, introduced a provision in Congress containing similar language.
"Heritage's Mr. Feulner himself has taken an active role in promoting South Korean issues in Congress through actions such as testifying before committees to promote the think tank's pro-South Korea positions. Meantime, one in six of Heritage's 24 known major donors last year — gifts of $100,000 or more — were Taiwanese or South Korean concerns. Over the past three years, Heritage has received nearly $1 million from the Korea Foundation which is funded by South Korea's Foreign Ministry, says the embassy's Mr. Lee." (10)