President Donald Trump proposed allowing hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a recent US immigration raid to remain in the country to help train American employees, but only one worker accepted the offer, South Korean officials said on Thursday.
The intervention briefly delayed a chartered flight arranged to repatriate the workers, which eventually departed on Thursday after being rescheduled earlier in the week.
About 300 South Koreans and 175 others were arrested last week at the $4.3 billion Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Georgia.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung confirmed that the repatriation was paused to consider Trump’s proposal. According to Seoul officials, the former president instructed US authorities to encourage workers to stay and assist in training Americans.
However, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, said the workers should return home first, with the option of coming back later if necessary.
Neither the White House nor the US State and Homeland Security Departments commented on the matter. Yonhap news agency reported that the workers would not be handcuffed during their transfer to the airport, a departure from standard US immigration practice.
The raid has sparked concern in South Korea, with business leaders warning that strict US visa restrictions for skilled foreign workers could undermine Korean investments, especially in advanced manufacturing projects requiring technical expertise.
