South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun travelled to Washington on Monday to manage diplomatic tensions after hundreds of Korean workers were detained in a large-scale US immigration raid.
Seoul confirmed on Sunday that talks with US officials had concluded to allow about 300 workers, arrested at a Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia, to return home later this week on a chartered flight under what it called a “voluntary departure” arrangement.
The raid, carried out by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has sparked anger in South Korea, which is finalising a major trade deal with Washington and has pledged billions of dollars in investment in the US. The operation took place just days after South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, met US President Donald Trump and vowed to strengthen economic cooperation.
The 300 South Koreans were among 475 workers arrested at the $4.3 billion EV battery project, in what US officials described as the largest single-site enforcement action in DHS history. Most of those detained were employed by subcontractors.
President Trump, who has stepped up deportations as part of a wider immigration crackdown, said he had not been aware of the raid beforehand but described the detainees as “illegal aliens.” In a more conciliatory statement on Truth Social, he told foreign investors: “Your investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so.”
The South Korean government condemned the arrests and criticised the release of footage showing armoured vehicles and shackled workers during the operation.
