Seoul: South Korean officials announced on Sunday that they had successfully negotiated the release of over 300 South Korean nationals who were detained during a raid by US immigration authorities at a Hyundai electric vehicle plant in Georgia. The raid was part of the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda. The South Korean government confirmed that the workers would be released and returned home.
According to France24.com, Kang Hoon-sik, the chief of staff for President Lee Jae Myung, stated that South Korea and the US had completed negotiations for the workers' release. He mentioned that a charter plane would be dispatched to facilitate their return once the final administrative procedures are resolved. Additionally, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to leave for the US on Monday to engage in further talks concerning the workers' release.
The incident has caused significant concern in South Korea, a vital ally of the US, especially since the countries had recently agreed on an economic deal involving $100 billion in US energy purchases and a $350 billion investment in the US. The raid and subsequent detentions have raised questions about the treatment of South Korean nationals and the economic activities of South Korean companies during US law enforcement operations.
Video footage released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement depicted federal agents arriving at the plant and directing workers to line up for processing. Some of the detainees were frisked and shackled during the operation. Most of those detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia. Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, stated that the investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed against the detainees.
Kang emphasized that South Korea intends to review and improve visa systems for individuals traveling to the US on business trips related to investment projects, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.