South Korea says it has negotiated the release and imminent repatriation of hundreds of South Korean workers who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after a raid of a Hyundai plant in Georgia.
The South Korean government has arranged for a charter plane to pick up its approximately 300 detained citizens and bring them back to South Korea, according to the president’s chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik. He said in the announcement that the government is still finalizing administrative details and will “remain vigilant” until all the South Korean workers return home.
Thursday’s ICE raid of the Georgia Hyundai plant came weeks after Hyundai announced a $26 billion investment in the United States following a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The Atlanta field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said federal authorities detained about 475 illegal immigrants during the Thursday ICE raid of the South Korean automaker’s Georgia plant. About 300 South Korean nationals were detained during the raid, according to South Korean news outlets.
The $7.5 billion Hyundai megaplant sits on nearly 3,000 acres in Bryan County, Georgia. The facility began production less than a year ago in October 2024 and aims to employ 8,500 workers, according to the facility’s website.
SOUTH KOREA RAISES CONCERNS AFTER ATF DETAINS NATIONALS AT HYUNDAI PLANT
Kang also said in the announcement that in order to prevent similar detainments in the future, South Korean government agencies would work with companies to improve the visa system for those traveling to the U.S. for business.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
