South Korea's government said it has concluded talks with U.S. authorities aimed at securing the release of its citizens detained in a large immigration raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, and that a chartered plane would be sent to bring the detainees home if required administrative procedures are completed.

The talks follow a U.S. enforcement operation that detained 475 people, including more than 300 South Korean nationals, at the electric vehicle battery facility, one of the largest foreign-investment projects in Georgia. The arrested workers are being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, South Korean officials said.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to South Korea's president, said Seoul officials were seeking to improve the visa system to prevent similar incidents in the future and that they had raised the matter with U.S. counterparts. "A chartered plane will be sent if administration procedures are completed," Kang said, according to the South Korean government summary of the talks.

U.S. authorities defended the operation. President Donald Trump said following the raids that "they were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job." ICE released video of Asian workers in restraints in front of a building, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said the action was necessary to protect American jobs. "People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the U.S.," ICE said, adding the operation sends a message that those who exploit the system "will be held accountable."

The raid has raised diplomatic and business concerns in Seoul because it came while the two governments were engaged in sensitive trade and investment talks. South Korea has pledged tens of billions of dollars in manufacturing investment in the United States, a commitment seen as partly designed to offset tariffs and deepen economic ties.

LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant in a joint venture with Hyundai, said many of the detained employees were on business trips, various visas or were in the United States under a visa waiver program. The company said 47 of its own employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture factory were detained. In response, LG Energy Solution said it was suspending most business trips to the United States and directing employees on assignment in the U.S. to return home immediately.

South Korean media widely described the raid as a shock. The Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warned the enforcement action could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States," reflecting concern in Seoul that aggressive immigration enforcement could undermine efforts to attract and protect Korean investment.

The Georgia factory, which produces batteries for new electric vehicles, had been promoted by Georgia's Republican governor as the largest economic development project in the state's history and was expected to employ roughly 1,200 people. The enforcement action disrupted operations at a site seen as a major component of South Korean investment in U.S. manufacturing.

U.S. officials have emphasized that immigration enforcement is separate from commercial and diplomatic relationships. The White House dismissed assertions that the raid would deter foreign investment, saying enforcement of immigration laws does not contradict efforts to attract business.

Both governments said they would continue communications. South Korean officials indicated they would press for clearer visa rules and better coordination to avoid future incidents in which foreign employees working on legitimate business assignments could be detained. U.S. authorities said their focus was on enforcing existing immigration statutes and ensuring compliance with work-authorized status.