Over 300 South Korean Workers Detained in US Immigration Raid Return Home

Sat Sep 13 2025 11:45:24 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A chartered flight has brought home more than 300 South Koreans detained during a massive immigration raid at Hyundai's battery plant in Georgia, amid diplomatic concerns and investment implications for South Korea.

After a week of uncertainty, over 300 South Korean workers who were detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia are returning home. Their return follows concerns raised by South Korean officials regarding the implications of the raid on future business investments in the US. The operation has sparked significant diplomatic discussions between South Korea and the US, as companies assess the impact on their operations and visa negotiations continue.

More than 300 South Koreans who were detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US state of Georgia last week are due to arrive home on Friday.

Their return comes as the country's president and Hyundai's chief executive have warned about the impact of the raid.

A chartered Korean Air jet carrying the workers and 14 non-Koreans who were also detained in the raid took off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at midday local time on Thursday (17:00 BST). One South Korean national has reportedly chosen to stay in the US to seek permanent residency.

The plane is expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport some at around 15:30 Seoul time (07:30 BST).

The departure was delayed by more than a day because of an instruction from the White House, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday.

President Donald Trump ordered the pause to check whether the workers were willing to remain in the US to continue working and training Americans, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.

Lee also said companies would be very hesitant about investing in the US following the raid, adding: The situation is extremely bewildering. He noted that it is common practice for Korean firms to send workers to help set up overseas factories. If that's no longer allowed, establishing manufacturing facilities in the US will only become more difficult... making companies question whether it's worth doing at all, he said.

Seoul is negotiating with Washington on visa options for South Korean workers whether that means securing higher quotas or creating new visa categories, Lee stated.

Meanwhile, Hyundai's chief executive José Muñoz has said the raid will delay the factory's opening. He noted that the raid would create a minimum two to three months delay [in opening the factory] because now all these people want to get back.

Last week, US officials detained 475 people - more than 300 of them South Korean nationals - who they said were working illegally at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in Georgia.

LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, stated that many of its employees who were arrested had various types of visas or were under a visa waiver programme.

South Korea, a close US ally in Asia, has pledged to invest tens of billions of dollars in America, partly to offset tariffs. Media in South Korea have described the raid as a shock, with warnings that it could have a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States.

The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.

The White House has defended the operation at the Hyundai plant, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment. On Sunday, President Trump referenced the raid in a social media post, calling for foreign companies to hire Americans.