According to a report by Reuters, the Trump administration is tightening its scrutiny of international students' social media posts and has instructed overseas consulates to suspend student visa interview appointments. This move has raised concerns among Korean parents of students going abroad.

Korea ranks as the third largest source of international students in the U.S., after India and China. Park Hyun-tae, head of Worldnet U.S. Overseas Edu Center in Seoul, remarked that many parents and students are anxious about the situation, especially those who have already scheduled interviews or are about to apply for them. "Many of my clients and their parents have been calling me, wanting to know what is going on," he stated.

Park indicated that the suspension of visa interviews could lead to delays in the start of the new school year. He also advised students to be cautious when posting on social media, particularly warning male students against posting offensive images of grenades or weapons.

A leaked email from a U.S. liberal arts college informed overseas students that their scheduled visa interviews might be postponed and advised them to keep an eye on social media updates. The competitive nature of entering Korea's top universities has pushed many students to choose studying abroad.

A Korean student studying in the U.S. mentioned that a friend was unable to schedule a visa interview and he too is worried about his plans to work in the U.S. after graduation. "I believe that America now is very different from the America of the past," he said.