South Korea to bring home 300 workers detained in massive Hyundai plant raid in Georgia
Share this @internewscast.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean government announced Sunday that over 300 South Korean workers, detained after a major immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, will be released and returned to their home country.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for President Lee Jae Myung, stated that South Korea and the U.S. have concluded negotiations for the workers’ release. South Korea plans to dispatch a charter plane to bring the workers back once remaining administrative procedures are finalized.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is to leave for the U.S. on Monday for talks related to the workers’ releases, South Korean media reported.

On Friday, U.S. immigration authorities reported that they had detained 475 individuals, the majority being South Korean nationals, during a raid at Hyundai’s expansive manufacturing site in Georgia, where the automaker builds electric vehicles. The agents concentrated on a facility, still under construction, in partnership with LG Energy Solution for battery production in EVs.

Cho said that more than 300 South Koreans were among the detained.

This operation was the latest of numerous workplace raids under the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. However, Thursday’s raid was notable both for its size and because the site has long been described as Georgia’s largest economic development project.

The raid shocked many in South Korea, an important U.S. ally. In July, South Korea agreed to procure $100 billion in U.S. energy and invest $350 billion in the U.S. in exchange for reduced U.S. tariff rates. Just two weeks prior, U.S. President Donald Trump and Lee had their inaugural meeting in Washington.

President Lee emphasized that South Korean citizens’ rights and companies’ economic pursuits should not be unfairly disrupted during U.S. law enforcement actions. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement expressing “concern and regret” about the incident and dispatched diplomats to the site.

Video released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday showed a caravan of vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside. Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist.

Most of the people detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, near the Florida state line. None has been charged with any crimes yet, Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, said during a news conference Friday, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

He said that some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.

Kang, the South Korean presidential chief of staff, said that South Korea will push to review and improve visa systems for those traveling to the U.S. on business trips for investment projects.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Kenny Hawkins Honored as ‘Champion of Kids’ by Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton

In Elizabethton, Tennessee, News Channel 11’s Sports Director, Kenny Hawkins, received a…

ARC&D Develops Innovative Riverbank Stabilization Strategies Post-Hurricane Helene: Pioneering Playbook for Future Resilience

ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – In a proactive effort to combat the aftermath…

Texas Senate Race Reveals Democratic Divide on Trump Strategy for Midterms

WASHINGTON – In the early stages of her Senate bid, a congresswoman…

Man Apprehended Following Intense Standoff in Mosheim: Police Report

A tense situation unfolded in Mosheim, Tennessee, on Tuesday when authorities apprehended…

Greeneville Barber Faces Arrest and Sexual Battery Charges, According to Police Reports

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A local barber from Greeneville, already facing legal…

Historic Oscars Milestone: Casting Directors Honored for the First Time, Shining a Spotlight on Crucial Film Industry Role

NEW YORK – As the enchanting world of “Wicked” comes to life…

Devastating Drone Strike on Sudan Oil Field Escalates Tensions, Jeopardizes South Sudan’s Economy

JUBA – In a tragic escalation, a drone strike executed by the…

Bronx Resident Faces Court Over Shooting Incident Involving Jets Player Kris Boyd

NEW YORK – A Bronx resident, Frederick Green, has found himself at…

Study Reveals Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Asia’s Deadly Floods Through Ocean Warming

BENGALURU – Recent devastating floods and landslides across Asia have been fueled…

Suspect in Bristol Double Homicide Incarcerated at Sullivan County Jail

A suspect linked to a double homicide in Bristol has been brought…

Lawsuit Claims Visitor Attacked by Security Dog at Universal Orlando

Orlando, Fla. – A legal battle has emerged between a woman and…

Escalating Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict Sparks Massive Displacement Crisis

In the region of Surin, the intensifying conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border…