Seoul: South Korea has announced that it will send a chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-8i to Atlanta to bring home hundreds of its nationals who were detained in a massive U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai–LG battery plant in Georgia. The flight, which can carry up to 368 passengers, is expected to leave as early as Wednesday, reflecting Seoul’s urgency in responding to one of the largest immigration enforcement operations in U.S. history.
The raid, carried out last week, saw U.S. immigration authorities detain 475 workers, with nearly 300 of them confirmed to be South Korean citizens. The large-scale operation at the multi-billion-dollar construction site stunned both South Korean officials and global investors, raising questions about the legal status of the workers and the diplomatic consequences of such an action.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is traveling to Washington, D.C., for high-level talks aimed at securing the release of the detained workers and ensuring their safe return. Seoul is also pressing U.S. officials for guarantees that those deported or repatriated will not face long-term entry bans, which typically accompany immigration violations. This demand comes against the backdrop of deepening economic ties between the two nations, particularly in the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors.
While U.S. authorities described the operation as a standard enforcement of immigration law, legal experts note that many of the South Korean nationals were not construction laborers but engineers and technicians working under short-term business visas. These skilled professionals were reportedly engaged in specialized tasks, including equipment installation and technical training activities often permitted under U.S. visa frameworks. Their arrest has therefore triggered debate over whether the enforcement action misinterpreted the scope of their work.
The images of workers being handcuffed and led onto buses during the raid have drawn outrage in South Korea. Lawmakers and civic groups in Seoul denounced the treatment as excessive and diplomatically insensitive, with some warning that the move could undermine the long-standing alliance between the two countries. The South Korean Foreign Ministry also expressed regret over the public release of videos showing the arrests, saying such footage could cause unnecessary humiliation.
The timing of the raid adds further strain to bilateral relations. Only weeks earlier, South Korea reaffirmed major investment commitments in U.S. industries under a new trade framework. Analysts warn that the harsh immigration enforcement, coupled with rising protectionist rhetoric in the United States, may discourage foreign investors and cast uncertainty over future joint ventures.
For now, Seoul’s immediate priority is to bring its citizens home. The chartered flight from Incheon to Atlanta will repatriate workers who agree to leave the U.S. under a voluntary departure arrangement. At the same time, South Korean officials are exploring policy changes to ensure that future overseas postings of skilled workers comply with immigration laws and avoid the risk of diplomatic crises.
The episode has underscored the delicate balance between enforcing domestic laws and maintaining international partnerships. As Seoul and Washington navigate the fallout, the incident has become both a humanitarian concern for the affected workers and a test of economic trust between two close allies.