YONHAP NEWS

S. Korea, U.S. to share criminal records for visa waiver

   By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on Tuesday formally approved a deal with the United States on exchanging the criminal records of visitors to their respective countries, a measure required for South Korea to join the U.S. visa waiver program (VWP).

   The agreement, which passed the Cabinet meeting, calls for the two sides to share personal information on those who have received a more than one-year jail term for crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, deception, arson, and human trafficking.

   The deal, to be forwarded to the National Assembly early next month after Seoul and Washington formally sign it, has caused concerns that it may lead to leakage of personal information and infringement of human rights.

   Foreign Ministry officials emphasized that it is an unavoidable measure to enable South Koreans and Americans to exchange visits more efficiently.

   Earlier this month, U.S. President George W. Bush announced he had notified Congress of a plan to include South Korea and six other countries in the VWP so that their citizens could visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa for sightseeing or business. The six are the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

   South Korea is expected to benefit from the VWP starting in the middle of next month. The sharing of criminal records is part of U.S. efforts to bolster its border security since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

   "South Korean citizens with such criminal records can also visit the U.S. without a visa if they can prove the purpose of their trips, either business or sightseeing," a Foreign Ministry official said.

   lcd@yna.co.kr
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