Foreign Minister Cho Hyun "strongly requested that the US government provide special care and support so that the detained South Koreans can leave the US quickly without external interference like handcuffing or any similar actions, as they are not criminals," the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 10/9.

Workers at the Hyundai-LG battery plant construction site are escorted out during the September 4 raid in Georgia. Photo: ICE

Workers at the Hyundai-LG battery plant construction site are escorted out during the September 4 raid in Georgia. Photo: ICE

Minister Cho made the request during a meeting at the White House with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. According to Yonhap, Washington agreed to the request from the South Korean Foreign Minister, assuring that these individuals would not face any future difficulties when re-entering the US.

During a September 4 raid at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution electric vehicle battery plant project in Georgia, agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement arrested 457 people accused of working illegally, including over 300 South Korean citizens. Video released by ICE showed workers handcuffed and shackled, being escorted onto prison transport vehicles.

ICE frequently handcuffs and shackles individuals accused of illegal immigration during deportation flights. This practice has drawn criticism from several countries, including Colombia and Brazil.

South Korean media reported that the 300 workers would be released from the detention center this morning and leave the US on a chartered plane later in the day. During his meeting with Secretary Rubio, Minister Cho also proposed that South Korea and the US discuss establishing a new visa category to prevent similar issues from recurring.

South Korean workers are shackled and escorted onto vehicles during the September 4 raid in Georgia. Video: ICE

According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary Rubio reassured Minister Cho that President Donald Trump had instructed him to consult and act promptly to ensure South Korea's wishes "were met to the greatest extent possible."

Minister Cho said the South Korean public was "hurt and shocked" to see the workers arrested for "coming to the US to transfer technology and expertise to contribute to the Trump administration's efforts to revive US manufacturing."

The US State Department made no mention of the immigration issue in its summary of the meeting between Secretaries Rubio and Cho, but quoted Rubio as saying the US still welcomed investment from South Korea and the two sides discussed promoting a fair and reciprocal trade partnership.

South Korean businesses have long complained about the strict US limitations on visas for skilled foreign workers. They argue that this hinders their ability to oversee factory construction or train local workers. Many of the workers arrested by ICE were employees of subcontractors involved in the project.

In a social media post on 7/9, President Trump stated that his administration would facilitate a "quick and legal" process for foreign companies to bring employees to the US if they complied with immigration laws.

Vu Hoang (According to Reuters)