More than 300 Koreans were detained in Georgia, revealing visa gaps and fueling doubts about US reliability as a partner

South Korea said Sunday it had concluded negotiations with Washington for the release of more than 300 South Korean nationals detained last week during a U.S. immigration raid at Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery plant site in Georgia. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said a chartered plane will depart once remaining administrative procedures are completed to bring the workers home. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington on Monday to finalize arrangements, following a call between First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and U.S. Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker.

The raid, which U.S. authorities described as the largest single-site enforcement operation in Homeland Security Investigations’ history, resulted in the detention of 475 individuals, most of them South Koreans. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the workers were engaged in unauthorized labor, including on visa waiver entries, B1 business visas and expired visas. U.S. President Donald Trump described the detainees as “illegal aliens” and said ICE was “just doing its job.”

South Korea said Sunday it had concluded negotiations with Washington for the release of more than 300 South Korean nationals detained last week during a U.S. immigration raid at Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery plant site in Georgia. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said a chartered plane will depart once remaining administrative procedures are completed to bring the workers home. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington on Monday to finalize arrangements, following a call between First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and U.S. Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker.

The raid, which U.S. authorities described as the largest single-site enforcement operation in Homeland Security Investigations’ history, resulted in the detention of 475 individuals, most of them South Koreans. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the workers were engaged in unauthorized labor, including on visa waiver entries, B1 business visas and expired visas. U.S. President Donald Trump described the detainees as “illegal aliens” and said ICE was “just doing its job.”

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