A charter plane carrying more than 300 South Korean workers released after days of detention in Georgia landed at Incheon International Airport on Friday, returning the group to South Korea following a high-profile immigration enforcement action.
The Boeing 747-8i from Korean Air touched down at the airport just west of Seoul after the workers were bused from a federal immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, to Atlanta to board the flight. The workers were among about 475 people detained during a Sept. 4 immigration raid at a battery factory under construction on the campus of a Hyundai auto plant west of Savannah.
Seoul said it had reached an agreement with the United States for the release of the Korean workers. They had been held at the federal detention center in Folkston, about 285 miles (460 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta. U.S. authorities processed and released the workers before transporting them by bus to Atlanta to board the charter flight back to South Korea.
The case drew intense attention after U.S. authorities released video footage showing some Korean workers restrained with chains around their hands, ankles and waists. The footage prompted public outrage in South Korea and led to urgent diplomatic engagement between the two allies.
U.S. immigration officials carried out the Sept. 4 operation at the battery factory, which is part of Hyundai's expansive manufacturing campus near Savannah. The detained workers were believed to be among those working at the construction site. Authorities said the action was an immigration enforcement operation; officials have not disclosed details about individual cases or next steps for those who remain in custody.
South Korean government officials coordinated with U.S. counterparts in the days after the raid to secure the release and repatriation of their citizens, according to Seoul. The agreement covered the flight and processing that allowed more than 300 to return on Friday; officials did not immediately provide a detailed breakdown of the total number of South Korean nationals detained or their legal statuses.
The footage released by U.S. authorities prompted questions in South Korea about the treatment of detainees and the circumstances of the raid. South Korean lawmakers and members of the public demanded explanations from both Seoul and Washington. South Korea's foreign ministry summoned U.S. diplomats to discuss the matter and pressed for the swift return of its citizens.
U.S. immigration authorities typically detain individuals who are subject to removal proceedings, criminal charges or other immigration-related actions; such operations and detentions have occasionally drawn scrutiny from human rights groups and foreign governments. In this case, officials stressed that the action was part of an immigration enforcement operation and said they were following standard procedures.
After landing in Incheon, the returning workers were processed by South Korean authorities and reunited with family members. South Korean officials said they would continue to follow up on the status of any citizens still in U.S. custody and urged transparent handling of any investigations into the raid and the treatment of detainees.
The incident adds to ongoing discussions between Seoul and Washington about labor protections for foreign workers, immigration enforcement practices on U.S. soil, and the handling of foreign nationals detained during enforcement actions. Both countries emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing the immediate humanitarian and diplomatic concerns raised by the detentions.
As of Friday, officials had not released a full accounting of how many South Korean nationals remained detained in Georgia or whether additional repatriation flights are planned. Authorities in both countries said they would continue consultations on case processing and the welfare of the affected workers.