U.S. Consular Office Opens in Busan in Middle of Next Month

September 17, 2007

The U.S. consular office will open next to the Busan Metropolitan City Government in the middle of next month.  Since the office will not issue visas, however, it is not expected to mitigate the inconvenience of obtaining a U.S. visa for residents of Busan and the Gyeongnam region.

Patrick J. Linehan, the new Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, paid a courtesy call to Busan Ilbo on September 14 and said, “The U.S. consular office will open next to the city government in mid-October.

The office called the “American Presence Post” is small, but will serve as a liaison office dealing with protocol and as a window for outreach efforts by providing the people of Busan and the region with various information on business, culture, and educational institutions and opportunities in the U.S.

In reference to the fact that the office does not handle visa services, Minister-Counselor Linehan said, “The physical conditions, such as the size [of the office,] are not appropriate.”  He added, however, that the opening of the office will greatly increase outreach contacts with local residents.

Concerning the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), he explained, “The ROK is highly likely to enter the VWP within a year.  The ROK is discussing the introduction of e-passports with the U.S. as an intermediary process of visa exemption.

The U.S. currently only has an embassy in Seoul, and Busan will become the first city in the nation to house a consular office.

• Original text on Busan Ilbo (Korean)