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Senior U.S. diplomat expresses deep regret over mass detention of Koreans at Georgia battery plant

Published: 14 Sep. 2025, 18:05 Updated: 14 Sep. 2025, 18:12

Then U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau delivers a statement to the media at Benito Juarez International Airport upon his arrival in Mexico City on August 16, 2019. [AP/YONHAP]

A senior U.S. State Department official expressed regret and pledged to prevent a recurrence of mass detentions of Koreans in Georgia during a vice-ministerial meeting with Seoul.

According to the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the ministry headquarters in Seoul.

At the meeting, Landau expressed deep regret over the incident. He said the two sides should use the situation as a turning point for institutional improvements and stronger Korea-U.S. relations.

Landau added that President Donald Trump is closely following the matter and assured that there would be no disadvantages for those who re-enter the United States. He also pledged that every effort would be made to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He further acknowledged the significant role that Korean companies’ investments play in supporting U.S. economic and manufacturing revitalization. He proposed moving quickly with follow-up working-level consultations to provide institutional support and ensure that visas are granted appropriately to Korean workers contributing to the U.S. economy.

Park referred to the poor conditions that Korean workers were forced to endure in U.S. detention facilities. He expressed regret that not only the workers but also the Korean public were deeply shocked by the incident.

Park strongly urged Washington to take practical steps to prevent a recurrence and to introduce institutional reforms to ease public concerns in Korea.

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 HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]