South Korea, US strike deal on release of Hyundai plant workers detained in immigration raid in Georgia
Over 300 South Korean workers detained in a US immigration raid at Hyundai’s EV plant site in Georgia will be released and flown home, Seoul said after finalising talks. The raid has stirred diplomatic tensions just weeks after President Lee Jae Myung’s summit with Donald Trump.
ore than 300 South Korean workers detained during a US immigration raid at a Hyundai plant under construction in Georgia will be released and repatriated, the South Korean government said on Sunday (September 7).
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, confirmed that Seoul and Washington finalised negotiations on the workers’ release. A chartered plane will bring them home once remaining administrative procedures are complete.
The announcement comes after US immigration officials confirmed that 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, were detained on Thursday when federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling EV and battery production site, a flagship project with LG Energy Solution.
Diplomatic tensions
The raid sparked shock in South Korea, a close US ally, particularly as it followed major bilateral commitments. In July, Seoul agreed to purchase $100 billion in US energy and invest $350 billion in the US after securing tariff concessions. Just two weeks ago, President Lee met US President Donald Trump in Washington for their first summit.
Lee criticised the operation, demanding “an all-out response” and warning that the rights of South Korean nationals and companies must not be “unfairly infringed upon.” The Foreign Ministry also expressed “concern and regret,” dispatching diplomats to Georgia to assist.
Immigration authorities’ position
Video released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed workers being frisked, shackled, and lined up outside buses. Most detainees were transferred to an immigration detention center in Folkston, near the Florida border.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Georgia lead, Steven Schrank, said none of the detainees has been charged, and the probe is ongoing. He noted that some entered the US illegally, while others overstayed visas or worked on visa waivers not permitting employment.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun confirmed that more than 300 South Koreans were among those detained. Kang said Seoul would also review and strengthen visa systems for citizens traveling to the US for investment projects.
The raid, one of the largest workplace operations under the Trump administration’s mass deportation drive, was especially notable given the site’s prominence as Georgia’s largest economic development project.