South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday warned that a large-scale US immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction could have serious repercussions on future South Korean investments in America.
The operation in Georgia, which saw hundreds of South Korean workers chained and handcuffed, was “bewildering” and “could have a significant impact on future investment decisions, particularly when evaluating the feasibility of direct operations in the US,” Lee said, according to news agency AFP.
He also mentioned that South Korean businesses will face difficulties in keeping direct investments in the United States if the visa system for Korean workers does not see improvements.
President Lee Jae Myung addressed the situation during a press conference, discussing the detention of South Korean workers following the immigration raid on Hyundai’s extensive auto plant in Georgia.
US officials described the raid on September 4 as the largest single-site enforcement action in American history. Nearly 475 workers, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals, were detained during the Homeland Security-led operation at Hyundai’s sprawling complex west of Savannah.
Video released by US authorities showed some workers shackled at their hands, ankles and waists, a move that shocked South Koreans and fuelled a sense of betrayal.
Seoul dispatched a charter plane to Atlanta this week to bring back the detained workers.
However, its return was delayed before the South Korean foreign ministry confirmed that the flight would depart on Thursday.
Confirming their return, President Lee said, "They are scheduled to depart the detention facility at 3 pm Seoul time (0600 GMT) today."
Negotiations with Washington have led to the release of workers under “voluntary” departures rather than deportations, which would have barred them from re-entering the US for up to a decade, according to news agency AP.
The raid has come at a sensitive time. Only 11 days before, Lee had met US President Donald Trump in Washington, pledging an additional $150 billion investment in the US, following a July promise of $350 billion linked to tariff negotiations.
During his Washington visit on Wednesday, South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun raised the matter with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, saying that the images of detained workers had caused “big pains and shocks” in South Korea. He called for assurances that the workers would be able to leave without handcuffs and without future re-entry problems, as per AP.
Trump defended the raid, saying the workers “were here illegally” and that the US must train its own citizens for specialised roles in industries such as batteries and semiconductors.
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