Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has voiced strong concerns that a recent U.S. immigration raid could make South Korean companies think twice about investing in the United States. His remarks follow the detention of nearly 475 workers, including more than 300 South Koreans, at a Hyundai–LG battery plant construction site in Georgia.
The raid, carried out by U.S. immigration authorities, has created significant diplomatic tension between Seoul and Washington. Most of the detained South Korean nationals are expected to be released and flown back home on a chartered plane, while South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has traveled to Washington to manage the fallout.
President Lee warned that unless the United States improves its visa system for skilled foreign workers, companies from South Korea may reconsider committing to major industrial projects there. He stressed that South Korean firms need to send technical experts to build factories and train local employees, but the current visa system has created severe challenges.
Reports have indicated that some companies have relied on temporary visa categories such as business travel permits to carry out tasks beyond their intended scope, including equipment installation and training, in order to meet project deadlines. This practice, long seen as an open secret, has now come under scrutiny following the raid.
Public anger has also grown in South Korea over the way the detained workers were treated, with criticism directed at the U.S. authorities for handcuffing and detaining individuals who, in some cases, held valid visas.
The South Korean government has said cultural and legal interpretations of visa violations differ between the two countries, but insisted that the handling of the incident was excessive.
Both governments are now exploring ways to prevent similar disruptions in the future, including the possibility of creating a new visa framework tailored for foreign technical workers supporting industrial projects.
Until such measures are in place, analysts warn that the incident could cause delays in ongoing projects and make South Korean companies more cautious about investing in the U.S.