South Korean President Orders Review of US Raid on Workers at Hyundai-LG Battery Plant
In a swift move, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has directed his team to check for any lapses in how the government handled the shocking detention of over 300 South Korean workers in the US. This comes after a massive immigration raid at a battery plant construction site in Georgia, run by big names like Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
The Presidential Office shared this update on Monday, following a briefing to the president. Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung explained to reporters that Lee wants officials to dig into "whether there were shortcomings" in dealing with this huge raid on a single site – something that’s never happened on this scale before. The raid kicked off on September 4, when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swooped in and arrested 300 out of 457 people at the site. Many of these workers were South Koreans caught working illegally, even on short-term or tourist visas that don’t allow jobs.
This incident has stirred up a storm of public anger back in Seoul. Videos released by US authorities show the detained South Koreans in handcuffs and metal chains, loaded onto transport vehicles like common criminals. It’s especially tough because South Korean companies are pouring billions into US investments right now, boosted by the Trump administration’s drive to bring manufacturing and shipbuilding jobs back home.
Kang addressed the public’s frustration head-on, saying the government gets the "uncomfortable feelings, anxiety, and dissatisfaction" everyone is feeling. She promised they’ll stick strong to the South Korea-US alliance while listening to people’s worries. To top it off, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun flew to Washington on Monday to sort out plans for a chartered plane to bring the detained nationals back safely.
US officials called this the "largest single-site enforcement operation" in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. Even US President Donald Trump backed the raid on Friday, labeling the detainees as "illegal aliens." As South Korea ramps up its US business push, this battery plant raid highlights the risks for workers abroad and the tensions in immigration enforcement. Stay tuned for updates on how this unfolds for the South Korean workers and the companies involved.
