South Korean officials will go to us to ensure the return of detained workers

South Korean Foreign Secretary will travel to the U.S. on Monday to help secure the return of hundreds of South Koreans detained in Georgia last week.

U.S. officials detained 475 people — more than 300 of them South Korean nationals — they said they worked illegally on car turrets.

Built by two Korean companies (Hyundai and LG), the facility is one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.

The raids were rapidly intensified under President Donald Trump, who vowed to crack down on unauthorized immigrants. But Friday’s raid could become a tension for South Korea’s key ally, and South Korea has also promised to invest in the U.S.

South Korea expressed “concern and regret” about the entire operation and urged the U.S. government to respect the rights of its citizens.

The government has been working all weekend to ensure workers release. Last night, it reached a deal with the United States to take them home on a chartered flight. However, it still needs to be determined exactly how and when to return to the worker.

The raid comes two weeks after Seoul agreed to invest billions in the U.S. to help it produce car batteries and other things.

Now, if they can’t bring in the experts they need, it has raised questions about how foreign companies can move their manufacturing to states.

However, the White House defended the action and dismissed concerns about possible deterring foreign investment.

Trump said in Sunday’s Truth social post that the U.S. will make it easy and legal to foreign companies bring “great technical talent and build world-class products”, but in return, these companies “hire and train American workers.”

Before he headed to the United States, Foreign Secretary Qiao Xian introduced to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the South Korean Parliament. He said he knew how difficult and competitive it was to get a visa to work in the United States, and said he was trying to find a solution quickly.

Hyun tried to ensure that detained workers were voluntarily returned instead of being deported.

The arrested workers were held at the ice rink in Foxton, Georgia.

After the raid, videos released by ICE officials showed Asian workers tied in front of buildings, some wearing yellow vests named “Hyundai” and “LG CNS”.

“People with short-term or leisure visas are not entitled to work in the United States,” Ice said, adding that the raid was a necessary condition to protect American work.

LG Energy Solution and Hyundai’s LG Energy solution, which operates the plant, said many arrested LG employees have various visa or visa waiver programs on business trips.

It said 47 employees and about 250 workers from the joint venture contractor were detained.

The company said it is suspending most business trips to the U.S. and directs employees to return home immediately in the U.S.

South Korean media widely described the raid as “shocking” with a Dong-a Ilbo newspaper warning that could “had a shocking impact on the activities of our businesses in the United States.”

The factory that makes new electric vehicles was touted by the Republican governor of Georgia as the largest economic development project in the state’s history, employing 1,200 people.