South Korea is sending a charter plane to the United States. Its mission is to bring home about 300 South Korean workers. They were held by US authorities last week. This unusual step comes after talks with the US government wrapped up. Meanwhile, US officials say they will keep looking for businesses that hire workers without proper documents.
An official from the South Korean presidential office shared on Sunday that a deal was made. It will release the detained workers from Georgia. The final steps are now underway. The workers are expected to fly back to South Korea on Wednesday.
The arrests happened last Thursday. US officers raided a Hyundai electric car battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. This was a massive operation. It was the biggest single-site enforcement action in the history of the US Department of Homeland Security. A total of 475 workers were arrested. About 300 of them were from South Korea.
This incident caused quite a stir in South Korea. People felt upset and surprised. It happened just ten days after leaders from both countries met. At that summit, they had promised to make their business ties even stronger.
The South Korean government expressed its unhappiness. This included how pictures of the raid were shown. These images showed US immigration officers using armed vehicles. They also showed workers being led away in handcuffs.
US President Donald Trump commented on the situation. He said the event would not harm relations with South Korea. But he also stressed his strict views on immigration. He called on foreign companies that invest in the US to follow American laws.
The factory itself is a big deal. It is a joint effort between South Korea’s Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. This electric vehicle battery plant is one of the largest economic projects in Georgia’s history. Following the arrests, LG Energy Solution stopped its employees from traveling to the US for work. The company also called back its staff who were already there.
Kang Hoon-sik, a senior aide to the South Korean president who leads a special task force, spoke about the future. He said the government would look into improving visa rules. This is for South Korean workers going to the US. The goal is to stop similar problems from happening again.
Relations between the two countries remain a bit tense. They are still working out the fine points of a trade deal announced in July. That deal includes a $350 billion fund. It aims to help Korean companies enter the US market more easily. Hyundai had also announced plans to boost its US investments to $26 billion.
Source: Reuters