Korea-Japan summit: Agreement expected to expand working holiday visa acquisition
Reports from Japanese media indicate that an agreement will be reached at the Korea-Japan summit to expand the acquisition of working holiday visas from one time to two times.
On the 20th, Nihon Keizai reported that President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are expected to agree on increasing the acquisition of 'Working Holiday' (WH) visas from the current one time to two times during their summit on the 23rd.
According to the report, this expansion of WH visas is expected to allow for re-acquisition starting this fall.
Significance and current status of the working holiday program
The working holiday program allows young people to stay abroad for a certain period while simultaneously experiencing travel and employment.
Korea and Japan mutually introduced this program in 1998 through the Korea-Japan Joint Declaration by President Kim Dae-jung and Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi.
Currently, both countries allow young people aged 18 to 25 to stay for one year, but the acquisition of visas is limited to one time.
According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among the approximately 20,000 working holiday visas issued by Japan last year, more than 7,000 were granted to Koreans, accounting for over 30% of the total.
Conversely, among those who obtained the 'H1' working holiday visas issued by Korea, Japanese nationals numbered 1,300 as of last July, making them the largest group.
President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to visit Japan from the 23rd to the 24th, marking his first overseas trip since taking office in June. Following this, he will visit the United States on the 25th for a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Image sources: President Lee Jae-myung / News1, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba / gettyimageskorea
