South Korea Presses U.S. for Release of Workers Detained in Georgia Factory Raid
South Korea’s foreign minister is heading to Washington on Monday to negotiate the safe return of hundreds of Korean nationals detained in a U.S. immigration raid last week.
American officials confirmed that 475 workers were taken into custody, including more than 300 South Koreans, during an operation at a car battery factory in Georgia. The plant, jointly built by Hyundai and LG, is considered one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
Raid Sparks Diplomatic Tensions
The mass arrests come amid a tougher immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to curb unauthorized employment. However, the scale of the Georgia raid has raised diplomatic concerns with Seoul, especially as South Korea recently pledged multi-billion-dollar investments in U.S. industries.
Seoul expressed “deep concern and regret” over the raid, urging Washington to ensure the rights of its citizens are respected. The South Korean government has been in urgent talks since the weekend and has arranged a chartered flight to bring the workers home, although the final details of their return are still being negotiated.
Investment at Risk?
The timing of the raid is particularly sensitive. Just two weeks earlier, South Korea agreed to boost U.S. production of critical technologies like car batteries. Now, questions are mounting about whether foreign firms will face new hurdles when relocating manufacturing to the U.S. if they cannot bring in technical experts from abroad.
The White House defended the raid, stressing it was aimed at protecting American jobs. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, President Trump said the U.S. welcomes foreign companies and their “great technical talent” but insisted they must also “hire and train American workers.”
South Korea’s Diplomatic Push
Before departing for Washington, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers he was seeking a “swift resolution” to the crisis. He emphasized the difficulty of obtaining U.S. work visas and said his priority was ensuring the detained Koreans are returned voluntarily rather than deported.
Currently, the workers are being held at an ICE detention center in Folkston, Georgia. Footage released by ICE showed detainees, many in yellow vests labeled “Hyundai” or “LG CNS,” shackled outside the facility.
ICE defended the operation, stating: “People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the U.S.” Officials described the raid as necessary to protect domestic employment.
Companies Respond
LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its staff were detained, along with roughly 250 subcontractor employees. The company said many were in the U.S. on short-term business trips under various visas or through the visa waiver program.
LG announced it would suspend most business travel to the U.S. and recall employees currently on assignment.
Hyundai and LG’s battery plant, which manufactures components for new electric vehicles, had been celebrated by Georgia’s Republican governor as the largest economic development project in state history, expected to create 1,200 jobs.
South Korean Media Reacts
The raid has been widely described in Seoul as a “shock.” The Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warned it could cast a “chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States” and potentially complicate future investments.
As negotiations continue in Washington, both governments face pressure to resolve the issue without undermining economic ties or discouraging future cooperation on major industrial projects.