South Korea said it has concluded talks with U.S. authorities aimed at securing the release of South Korean nationals detained in a large immigration raid at a Hyundai-linked 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 U.S. administrative procedures were completed, and that Seoul was seeking improvements to the visa system to prevent similar cases in the future. The government did not provide a timetable for the departures.
U.S. officials detained 475 people in the enforcement action at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign-investment projects in Georgia, and said more than 300 of those arrested were South Korean nationals. The arrested workers are being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia. LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant in a joint venture with Hyundai, said 47 of its employees and about 250 contractor workers were detained.
The arrests followed an operation ICE and Homeland Security Investigations described as targeting people found to be illegally working in the United States. ICE released video footage showing Asian workers handcuffed in front of a building, some wearing yellow vests printed with names including "Hyundai" and "LG CNS." An ICE statement said "people on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the U.S.," and called the raid necessary to protect American jobs.
President Donald Trump defended the operation, saying, "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job." HSI Special Agent Steven Schrank said the operation "sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable." The White House dismissed concerns that the enforcement action could deter foreign investment.
The timing of the raid has drawn attention because it occurred as the United States and South Korea were engaged in sensitive trade and investment discussions. Seoul has pledged tens of billions of dollars in manufacturing investment in the United States, in part to offset tariffs and deepen economic ties. South Korean media widely described the operation as a shock, with the Dong-A Ilbo saying it could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States."
LG Energy Solution said many of the arrested LG employees had been in the United States on business trips under a variety of visas or through a visa-waiver program. The company announced it would suspend most business travel to the United States and directed employees on assignment there to return home immediately.
The factory, which produces components for electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the state's largest economic development project and employs roughly 1,200 people. State and local officials had highlighted the joint venture as a major boost for manufacturing and jobs in southern Georgia.
Seoul officials said their talks with Washington also covered measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, with a particular focus on clarifying and improving visa rules for business travelers and short-term visitors. South Korea is a close U.S. ally, and its government has sought to balance the protection of its nationals with maintaining cooperative relations on trade and security.
U.S. immigration enforcement officials have emphasized the legal distinctions between visa types that permit work and those intended only for tourism or short-term business activities. The incident has underscored tensions in U.S. policy that simultaneously seeks to attract foreign investment while tightening enforcement of visa and employment rules.
As diplomatic and corporate discussions proceed, detained workers and their legal status remain at the center of negotiations. South Korean authorities have said they will continue to press for swift administrative processing to facilitate repatriation, while U.S. officials have indicated enforcement actions will continue to be carried out according to existing immigration law and procedures.