Korean workers reunite with families after eight days in ICE detention — in pictures
![Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/53c9cb27-375e-4a3d-aa6f-d312bd1fdb5a.jpg)
Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
A charter flight carrying Korean workers recently released from detention in Georgia landed at Incheon International Airport at 3:23 p.m. Friday, marking the end of a roughly 15-hour journey from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The flight departed at 11:38 a.m. on Thursday.
A total of 330 passengers were on board, including 316 Korean nationals — one detainee had chosen to remain in the United States — 10 Chinese, 3 Japanese and 1 Indonesian citizen. The passengers had been held at detention facilities in southern Georgia, including the Folkston ICE Processing Center.
Among the returnees were First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung, who had traveled to the United States to manage the situation, along with 19 other government officials, company representatives and medical personnel.
The Korean nationals had been detained on Sept. 4 at the construction site of the LG Energy Solution-Hyundai Motor joint battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. After eight days in custody, they returned home and were scheduled to reunite with family and friends at the arrivals hall of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2 after completing immigration procedures.
![Family members of Korean workers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia wait for their return at the long-term parking lot of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/2d818134-a970-480a-87b5-24e9265379a2.jpg)
Family members of Korean workers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia wait for their return at the long-term parking lot of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![A charter flight carrying Korean workers released from U.S. detention lands on the runway at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/c091a465-d158-4a10-a0ee-325b0814b61c.jpg)
A charter flight carrying Korean workers released from U.S. detention lands on the runway at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![On Sept. 12, as Korean workers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia returned home, airport police block a protest by a civic group holding a banner with the face of U.S. President Donald Trump with the caption, ″We're friends! Aren't we?″ at the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/5e7eca33-c3a3-4047-8459-920af7de18ef.jpg)
On Sept. 12, as Korean workers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia returned home, airport police block a protest by a civic group holding a banner with the face of U.S. President Donald Trump with the caption, ″We're friends! Aren't we?″ at the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport. [YONHAP]
![Korean workers previously detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia exit the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/942081b8-ba3a-46ef-9905-1c5cafcb8f6e.jpg)
Korean workers previously detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia exit the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [YONHAP]
![Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/e5a776ea-820c-4a91-9269-dc54bd0847af.jpg)
Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/c2e5364c-a8d6-47b7-a1c9-94f9e45e93fb.jpg)
Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/00f33272-378c-4943-b4e7-3e0445c40d5d.jpg)
Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia walk out of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia board buses after arriving at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/fa895dd5-b00b-404b-aea0-fa8df768b2c6.jpg)
Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Georgia board buses after arriving at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![A Korean worker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia reunites with family at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/99dfdce1-89c1-4023-9d57-8905a6265135.jpg)
A Korean worker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia reunites with family at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![Korean workers who were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia exit the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/835c5ca7-d9ae-4a69-961a-c558c2f306d5.jpg)
Korean workers who were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia exit the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![A Korean worker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia reunites with family at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/153c7465-31a9-4534-b8a1-cd9f276d586b.jpg)
A Korean worker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia reunites with family at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![Korean workers who were arrested and detained at a factory in Georgia enter Korea through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/12/32cc0af0-2bbc-4456-8a47-f3bda1ecbcde.jpg)
Korean workers who were arrested and detained at a factory in Georgia enter Korea through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of Sept. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
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 HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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