More than 300 South Korean nationals who were detained in a sweeping US immigration raid at Hyundai’s battery plant in Georgia have now returned to Seoul. Their arrival on a chartered Korean Air flight was greeted by journalists and protesters at Incheon International Airport, where security was tight. Fourteen non-Koreans detained in the same raid were also on board, while one South Korean opted to stay in the US to seek residency.
The operation, which detained 475 people in total, has sparked outrage in South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung condemned the raid, calling it “extremely bewildering,” and warned that companies may reconsider investing in the US. He stressed that Korean firms commonly dispatch staff to overseas projects, and if that is no longer possible, manufacturing in the US could become less viable.
Protest banners at the airport accused the US of betrayal, with one declaring: “Why shall we continue US investments after such back-stabbing?”
The White House delayed the workers’ departure for over a day while reviewing whether some wished to remain in the US to continue training American employees. A South Korean foreign ministry official confirmed that Trump ordered the pause.
Hyundai’s chief executive José Muñoz admitted the raid will delay the factory’s opening by two to three months, as replacement staff will need to be trained. Meanwhile, South Korea’s foreign minister urged US lawmakers to support a new visa system to protect workers sent abroad for such projects.
For the returning workers, the homecoming was bittersweet. “I’m back, I’m free,” one man exclaimed, while officials urged the media to protect their privacy.
US Raid on Hyundai Plant Sparks Diplomatic Strain as Workers Return to Korea
