SEOUL, Sept 7: South Korea held an emergency government meeting after hundreds of its citizens were detained in a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, US. The operation, conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), targeted workers allegedly employed illegally at the battery manufacturing facility, which is one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state, the BBC reported.
According to the BBC, 475 people were detained, most of them South Korean nationals. The White House defended the raid, with President Donald Trump stating, “They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job,” dismissing concerns about potential impacts on foreign investment. Video released by ICE showed Asian workers shackled outside a building, some wearing yellow vests labeled with company names like “Hyundai” and “LG CNS.” ICE said that people on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US, adding that the operation aimed to protect American jobs.
The BBC quoted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank, who said the raid “sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable.”
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The timing of the raid has raised concerns in Seoul, as the US and South Korea are engaged in sensitive trade negotiations. The BBC stated that South Korea has pledged tens of billions of dollars in American manufacturing investment to offset tariffs, and the sudden detentions have added tension to the diplomatic environment.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun presided over the emergency meeting, and the BBC quoted him as saying he felt “a great sense of responsibility for the arrest of our citizens.” He added that the government had formed an Overseas Korean Protection Task Force and might send officials to Washington if necessary. “Immediately after this incident became known, the President stressed that U.S. law enforcement actions must not unjustly infringe upon the rights of our nationals or the economic activities of our Korean-invested companies,” Cho said.
The BBC reported that LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant in partnership with Hyundai, is taking urgent action. The company announced that it would send Chief HR Officer Kim Ki-soo to Georgia and is working to secure the release of its detained employees and contractors. LG also said it was suspending most business trips to the US and directing staff on assignment in the country to return home immediately. The company is coordinating emergency support, including ensuring regular medications for detained workers.
According to the BBC, South Korean media widely described the raid as a “shock,” warning it could chill the activities of Korean businesses in the US. The factory, producing electric vehicles, employs 1,200 people and had been promoted as the largest economic development project in Georgia’s history. Of those detained, 47 were LG employees, while about 250 were contractors working at the joint venture facility.
The BBC noted that the arrested workers are being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending decisions on their next location. The raid has put South Korean authorities and corporations on high alert as they seek immediate resolution while balancing diplomatic sensitivities.
