The South Korean government said Monday it will investigate potential human rights violations arising from a U.S. immigration raid that detained hundreds of South Korean workers at an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia, after expressing "strong regret" to Washington and requesting that its citizens' rights and interests be protected during law enforcement proceedings.
More than 300 South Korean workers returned home on Friday after being held for roughly a week following the raid, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Sept. 4 resulted in about 475 arrests at a Hyundai-operated manufacturing site. ICE officials said many of those arrested had overstayed their visas or were not permitted to work in the United States.
A presidential spokesperson in Seoul told reporters the government will work with the relevant companies to "thoroughly investigate any potential human rights violations or other issues." The spokesperson said Seoul had officially conveyed its concerns to U.S. authorities and sought assurances that the legal rights and interests of South Korean nationals would not be infringed during ongoing procedures.
President Lee Jae-myung warned the raid could discourage foreign investment in the United States, calling the incident "bewildering" and noting that it is a common practice for Korean companies to send workers to help set up overseas factories. South Korea's trade unions have called on President Donald Trump to issue an official apology.
The incident has tested ties between the two U.S. allies at a time when South Korean firms are poised to invest billions of dollars in U.S. projects under trade arrangements intended, in part, to shield companies from steep American tariffs. Hyundai announced last week that the opening of the Georgia plant would be delayed by at least two months.
Eyewitness accounts published by South Korean media described scenes of panic and confusion as federal agents descended on the site, with some workers reportedly led away in restraints. U.S. authorities, citing immigration law, characterized the enforcement action as part of a broader crackdown on unlawful employment and overstaying.
The raid was the largest single-location immigration sweep since President Trump intensified immigration enforcement earlier this year. The size and nationality of the detainees — a substantial number of whom were South Korean nationals — have amplified diplomatic sensitivity.
President Trump offered a conciliatory tone in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying foreign workers are "welcome" and that the United States is willing to learn from foreign experts in industries such as shipbuilding, chipmaking and computing. "We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own 'game,' sometime in the not too distant future," he wrote.
U.S. authorities have not publicly detailed the procedures followed during the raid beyond ICE's statement on immigration violations. Seoul's pledge to probe alleged human rights issues signals an escalation in diplomatic engagement and could prompt further inquiries about the conduct of U.S. enforcement actions at multinational industrial sites.
South Korean officials said they would coordinate with companies involved in the Georgia project to ascertain facts and pursue any necessary legal or diplomatic steps. The investigation in Seoul will seek to determine whether rights were violated during detention and whether appropriate consular access and due process were afforded to the detained nationals.
The episode highlights tensions that can arise when immigration enforcement intersects with multinational investment and supply-chain development, and it may shape discussions between the United States and South Korea as both governments and private sector actors address labor mobility, compliance and the protections owed to foreign workers on U.S. soil.