SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In a reaction to a recent immigration enforcement action, a South Korean charter plane departed for the United States on Wednesday, tasked with bringing back workers detained during a raid in Georgia.
The operation on September 4 saw a total of 475 workers, of which more than 300 were South Korean, detained at a battery factory under development related to Hyundai's expansive auto manufacturing plant near Savannah. Disturbing images released by U.S. authorities depicted some workers restrained in chains.
In response to the detentions, the South Korean government announced that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. for the release of these workers. According to local media reports, footage from South Korean television captured the charter plane taking off from Incheon International Airport on Wednesday morning, with plans to bring the workers back by Thursday afternoon.
This immigration raid, executed by the Homeland Security agency, marks the largest operation to date as part of the U.S. administration's ongoing emphasis on deportation. Concentrated in Georgia, a hub for several South Korean businesses, this incident raises concerns about labor rights and the implications for future investments. Not long before this incident, South Korea had committed to investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S., coinciding with a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in late August.
In a statement, Trump characterized the detained workers as residing in the U.S. illegally, asserting the necessity for collaboration between countries to ensure specialized skills training for American workers in sectors like battery production and computer manufacturing.
