South Korea said it has concluded talks with the United States to secure the release and repatriation of its citizens detained in a large-scale U.S. immigration operation at a Hyundai-affiliated battery plant in Georgia.
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to South Korea's president, said a chartered plane would be sent to bring the detainees home once required administrative procedures are completed. He said South Korean authorities were also seeking improvements to visa rules to prevent similar incidents in the future.
U.S. officials said 475 people were detained in the operation, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals. The arrests followed a raid at a battery manufacturing facility that is part of a joint venture involving Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. Detainees are being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston, Georgia.
Video released by ICE showed Asian workers handcuffed and standing outside a building, some wearing high-visibility vests bearing names including "Hyundai" and "LG CNS." ICE said the operation targeted people it determined were illegally working in the United States and said those on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work. "This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable," Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Steven Schrank said in a statement.
The White House and President Donald Trump defended the enforcement action. "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job," Trump said following the raids.
LG Energy Solution said 47 of its employees and about 250 contract workers at the joint venture factory were among those detained. The company said many of the arrested workers were in the United States on business trips with various visas or under the visa waiver program. LG Energy Solution announced it was suspending most business travel to the United States and directing employees on assignment in the country to return home immediately.
The raid has drawn concern in Seoul because it comes as the two governments engage in sensitive trade and investment talks. South Korea, a close U.S. ally, has pledged tens of billions of dollars in investments in American manufacturing, part of wider efforts to offset tariffs and expand supply chains for electric vehicles and batteries.
South Korean media widely described the operation as a shock, and officials in Seoul have raised questions about its timing and potential impact on inbound investment. Georgia officials had touted the battery plant as a landmark economic development project for the state. The facility, which makes components for electric vehicles and batteries, was billed by the Republican governor as among the largest economic development projects in Georgia's history and was expected to employ about 1,200 people.
U.S. authorities said the enforcement action was necessary to protect American jobs and uphold immigration law. South Korean officials, while emphasizing close ties with the United States, have signaled they will press for clearer visa rules and safeguards for foreign workers attached to multinational projects.
The two governments have not released a detailed timetable for the repatriation flights. South Korean officials said they would move forward once U.S. administrative processes are completed and that they would continue diplomatic engagement to support citizens affected by the enforcement action.