Do we or don't we need a visa for the Korean IETF?

[Aaron Falk <falk@xxxxxxx>]

This is insane.  Can the Secretariat please give unambiguous advice  
(preferably backed up by a letter from the Korean embassy) to  
attendees?

--aaron

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Eric Burger" <eburger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: January 29, 2004 8:16:54 AM PST
> To: <ietf@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: visa requirements (US citizens)
>
> How about this for a twist:  if you ask for an invitation (required  
> for a visa), you are told you really, really don't need it.  When I  
> requested a visa from TTA, this is the response I got.  Has anyone  
> succeeded in getting a letter?
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: KeeMoon Roh [mailto:ietf59@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 1:32 AM
> To: Eric Burger
> Subject: RE: [Fwd: Korean Visa invitation letter request for C-2 visa]
>
>
>   Dear. Mr. Burger
>
> This mail is from 59th Local IETF Secretariats in Korea.
> Currently we are issuing invitation letters.
>
> There is one thing we like to tell you about Korean Entry Visa.
> USA Nationals who want to visit Korea just for a short-term tour or  
> transit are permitted to enter Korea with no visa according to the  
> principles of reciprocity or priority of national interests with a  
> tourist/transit visa status(B-2, 30days).
>
> Event though, it is written that No-Visa Entry is for a short-term  
> tour or transit, participating in short term conventions or  
> meetings(less than 30 days) is allowed as well.
>
> I checked this out several times with Korean Embassy.
>
> Please refer to http://www.mofat.go.kr/en/visa/e_visa.mof
>
> USA citizens, who hold US passport, do not need VISA to attend the  
> 59th IETF Meeting in Seoul Korea,
>
> Invitation letter is only for VISA issuing.
> If you need for some other reason,
> I can issue you an invitation letter without notarial certificate (not  
> for submitting to Korean embassy).
>
>
> If you still need an invitation letter. please reply to this mail  
> (ietf59@xxxxxxxxx).
>
> best regards,
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ---------------
> Kee-Moon Roh
> ???
> ???
> TTA (Telecommunications Technology Association)
> * Mobile : +82-11-1735-1161
> * TEL     : +82-31-724-0075
> * FAX     : +82-31-724-0059
> * E-mail : kees@xxxxxxxxx ( TTA Secretariat )
> * E-mail : ietf59@xxxxxxxxx ( 59th IETF Local Secretariat )
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> -----------------
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul Hoffman / IMC [mailto:phoffman@xxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 4:07 PM
> > To: Steve Bellovin; ietf@xxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: visa requirements (US citizens)
> >
> >
> > At 2:31 PM -0500 1/27/04, Steve Bellovin wrote:
> > > I was advised by our corporate travel consultants that I should get a
> > > visa.  Given the current international climate -- there was
> > an article
> > > in last Thursday's Wall Street Journal about how other countries
> > > are retaliating for the current U.S. fingerprinting and visa
> > application
> > > requirements -- this may be a prudent course of action.
> >
> > The Korean embassy page that is linked to from the IETF meetings page
> > (<http://www.koreaembassy.org/visiting/eng_visas.cfm>) makes it
> > pretty darn clear that US folks should get a visa. They do have a
> > link from that page saying how wonderful US-Korea relations are, of
> > course.
> >
> > Showing up in the airport without a visa and saying "but someone at
> > one of your consulates told me I didn't need one" may go over as well
> > in other countries as it does in the US...
> >
> > --Paul Hoffman, Director
> > --Internet Mail Consortium
>
>
>
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