Seoul voices regret after about 300 Koreans detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG battery plant
The Korean government expressed regret on Friday over a U.S. immigration raid that is believed to have resulted in the detention of about 300 Korean citizens at a Hyundai and LG Energy Solution construction site in Georgia.
The detainees reportedly included a mix of Hyundai Motor Group affiliate employees and LG Energy Solution headquarters staff who were in the United States on business.
Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the business operations of Korean companies should not be disrupted by American law enforcement actions.
Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a briefing,
The economic activities of our investment firms and the rights of our citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations,
Lee added that the ministry is taking active measures, including dispatching consuls from the Korean Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and setting up an on-site task force.
The spokesperson, said:
We have also conveyed our concerns and regret through the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, urging them to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are fully protected,
President Lee Jae Myung has reportedly been briefed on the incident and instructed officials to closely monitor the situation.
The ministry’s unusually strong response to the nation’s key ally came hours after U.S. immigration authorities carried out a major law enforcement operation Thursday (local time) at a construction site where Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a new battery plant next to an existing electric vehicle manufacturing facility owned by the carmaker.
U.S. authorities said the raid was part of an investigation into “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.” The operation involved agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations.
The agents reportedly held factory workers until their citizenship could be verified. Those whose status was unconfirmed were handcuffed with zip ties and transferred to an ICE detention facility.
A foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity,
We are confirming the exact number of detained individuals through cooperation with the companies,
He, added:
The consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington is scheduled to be dispatched to the site with instructions to provide full support, including consular meetings and assistance,
The official said U.S. authorities did not provide prior notice of the massive raid through diplomatic channels, while declining to comment on whether any communication occurred afterward.
Among the Koreans arrested were employees from partner firms who were in the U.S. on business trips.
Most are believed to have entered the U.S. on short-term business visas, or through the Visa Waiver Program or the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Immigration authorities appear to have initially determined that their presence at the site constituted “activities inconsistent with the purpose of their stay,” prompting the arrests.
The facility, located in Ellabell, Georgia, employs roughly 1,200 people and is considered one of the state’s largest manufacturing sites.
LG Energy Solution said it is “currently assessing the specific situation,” while an official at Hyundai Motor Group’s Seoul headquarters said so far there have been no confirmed detainees among its staff.
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Seoul voices regret after about 300 Koreans detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG battery plant, source
