Targeting students’ social media isn’t security—It’s censorship

The United States was founded on the principle that individual freedoms—especially freedom of speech—must be protected, even when uncomfortable. Yet a recent decision by the State Department raises troubling questions about whether that foundational value is being cast aside in favor of ideological scrutiny more often associated with authoritarian regimes.

On May 28, the U.S. State Department directed its global diplomatic missions to suspend interviews for F (student), M (vocational training), and J (exchange and research) visas. The reason? To prepare for the expansion of mandatory social media screening for student visa applicants. In other words, the U.S. government now seeks to examine what international students post, like, or comment on before deciding whether they should be allowed into the country.

This policy sends a chilling message—not just to Chinese nationals, who are likely the primary target, but to Korean students and the broader Korean American community as well. It effectively says that one’s personal beliefs, expressed online, could become grounds for exclusion. It echoes the surveillance logic of authoritarian countries, where dissent is punished and ideology is policed. Is America, once a beacon of open discourse, now adopting the same tools to police thought at its borders?

The consequences are already being felt. Korean students preparing to study in the U.S. are in panic. Online forums like the “J1 U.S. Intern/Trainee Group” on KakaoTalk are flooded with anxious messages. Those planning to switch from J-1 to F-1 visas worry that returning home to apply for the visa now carries unpredictable risks. Several students shared that they had already scheduled appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul—appointments that are now effectively useless, as the system shows no available interview slots.

Meanwhile, Korean-American companies that regularly hire Korean interns are left in limbo. Alan Chun, CEO of Beaver, a trade show booth manufacturer, said that all J-1 visa interviews for his prospective interns were abruptly canceled. Fashion firms and hospitality businesses in Koreatown, which depend on temporary trainees, are also voicing frustration. “We’re now forced to consider hiring locally, even though we wanted to work with skilled interns from Korea,” said Brian Lee, president of the Korean American Manufacturers Association.

Even beyond business, there are community and cultural consequences. Guesthouse operators in Los Angeles, like Hyesun Lee, report a sharp drop in Korean student boarders, noting that the trend worsened after President Trump took office. “This policy feels extreme,” she said. “It’s hurting not just students, but the whole community.”

Of course, every nation has the right to vet who it allows in. But scrutinizing someone’s political leanings or social media history crosses a line. The U.S. should not adopt the playbook of regimes that control their citizens through fear and censorship.

The temporary freeze on student visa interviews may seem procedural, but its implications are profound. Even if intended as a targeted crackdown on certain groups, it has cast a wide net—affecting Korean students and institutions that have long built bridges between South Korea and the U.S. through education, culture, and professional exchange.

We urge the State Department to restore visa processing without delay and to reaffirm America’s commitment to academic openness and freedom of thought. Surveillance of students’ online speech is not security—it is censorship. And censorship has no place in a democracy.

BY MOOYOUNG LEE   [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]