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Seoul concludes negotiations for release of Koreans detained in Georgia

Published: 07 Sep. 2025, 18:49 Updated: 07 Sep. 2025, 19:47

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik speaks during a high-level meeting of the Democratic Party and government officials at the prime minister’s residence in central Seoul on Sept. 7. [YONHAP]

The Korean government has completed negotiations for the release of more than 300 Korean nationals detained during an immigration raid at the construction site of a joint battery plant between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution located in Georgia, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Sunday.

The announcement came roughly 64 hours after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted the operation at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday to detain laborers who entered the country illegally and were working at the site. Kang shared the news at a high-level policy meeting of the Democratic Party and government that began at 4 p.m. at the prime minister's office in Jongno District, central Seoul.

“Thanks to the swift and united response of government ministries, business associations and companies, negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded," Kang said, adding that “only administrative procedures remain."

“As soon as those are complete, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home," he said. "The Korean government will remain fully alert and respond responsibly until every one of our people returns safely.”

According to Kang, President Lee Jae Myung had issued direct orders earlier in the week, stating that “the rights of our citizens and the economic activities of Korean investors must not be unjustly violated during U.S. law enforcement operations,” and called for an all-out effort to resolve the issue swiftly.

U.S. immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean nationals during a crackdown at the Korean construction site for the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution on Sept. 4. The picture has been taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's website. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“To prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, we will work with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and related companies to review the visa and residency systems for workers sent to U.S. projects,” Kang said. “We will ensure that all measures are practically implemented to achieve both the swift release of our nationals and the stable execution of the investment project.”

The presidential office also confirmed in a statement later Sunday that negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been completed and that a chartered flight is scheduled to depart Korea to bring the Korean nationals back as soon as administrative procedures are finalized.

The ICE operation on Thursday resulted in the detention of 475 people at the LG-Hyundai battery factory construction site, including more than 300 Koreans. It is considered the largest immigration raid conducted at a single business site since the launch of the second Donald Trump administration in January.

According to CNN, the raid began at 10:45 a.m. with a scene resembling a military operation. Around 500 federal and local agents entered the site, lined up workers against walls and checked their legal status one by one. The process lasted until around 8 p.m. Some workers who were not found to be in violation of the law were released, while others were transported to the Folkston ICE Processing Center.

This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows a person being handcuffed at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

The Korean nationals detained on suspicion of unlawful presence had reportedly entered the United States under B1 business visas — intended for meetings and contract signings — or through the Visa Waiver Program, ESTA, both of which prohibit wage-earning physical labor.

Tori Branum, a Georgia-based right-wing politician, claimed on Facebook that she made the report to ICE because the Korean company failed to hire U.S. citizens despite receiving tax credits from the government.

"Yes, I did report the Hyundai plant to ICE and yes, I did talk to an agent," wrote Branum.

The Korean government has not responded to her claims as of Sunday evening, adding to the criticism that the government and private companies have both been naive about Trump's dedication to his immigration crackdown.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON JI-WON [[email protected]]