Korean lawmakers move to enforce long-stalled crime data-sharing pact with US

Korea’s ruling party lawmakers have introduced legislation to activate a long-dormant crime data-sharing pact with the United States, as Seoul seeks to safeguard its visa waiver status amid recent shifts in U.S. immigration and security policy. The bill, led by Rep. Lee Sang-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea, would create a detailed domestic legal framework to implement the 2008 “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the United States of America on Enhancing Cooperation to Prevent and Combat Crime.” Korea inked the accord in November that year as a condition for joining the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Korean citizens to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa. The National Assembly ratified it the following month, but it has remained largely dormant since. Asked why lawmakers are suddenly moving now, after the agreement sat idle for more than 15 years, Lee’s aide said the core obstacle was the difference between the two nations’ legal systems — and that the move also comes

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