Seoul is ‘deeply concerned’ as Hyundai plant raid tests U.S. relations
SEOUL - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged “all-out efforts” to protect Korean nationals in the United States after a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai factory in Georgia, the country’s foreign minister said at an emergency meeting Saturday.
The arrest of 475 workers Thursday was the largest worksite enforcement operation to take place so far in President Donald Trump’s second term. The raid comes after months of strained negotiations between Washington and Seoul over tariffs and investments.
More than 300 of the arrested workers were Korean nationals, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at an emergency meeting Saturday afternoon on the government’s response to the raid. “We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals,” he added.
This is a sensitive time in bilateral relations between the U.S. and South Korea, with ongoing tariff negotiations that have emphasized South Korean investments - to the tune of $350 billion - in the U.S. in exchange for lower U.S. tariff rates.
Major South Korean conglomerates, such as Hyundai and LG, would play a big role in driving those investments. But the immigration raid raises concerns for South Korean businesses and government officials about the political realities of doing business in the United States.
Lee emphasized that the rights and interests of his citizens and the economic activities of the country’s companies based in the U.S. must not be infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement processes, Cho said.
The Foreign Ministry is considering sending a senior official to Atlanta, and officials from various ministries are communicating with the consular office in Atlanta, he added.
The electric-vehicle battery factory being built at the site is a joint venture between South Korean carmaker Hyundai and LG Energy Solution - part of the broader LG group - which Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has called “the largest project in state history.”
Hyundai has pledged in recent weeks to invest $26 billion in the U.S., and said in a statement that none of those arrested were employed directly by the company.
LG Energy Solution said in a statement to local media that it has ordered employees in the U.S. on business to immediately return to South Korea, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News. The company also suspended its employees’ business trips to the U.S., excluding customer meetings, as it works toward the release of its employees and subcontractors, the Yonhap report said.
Of the detainees, 47 were LG Energy Solution employees - 46 were South Korean and one was from Indonesia - and about 250 were from subcontractors, Yonhap reported, citing the company’s statement.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and gathering all relevant details,” LG Energy Solution said in a statement to The Washington Post on Saturday. “Our top priority is always ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees and partners. We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities.”
On Friday, Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, called the raid the “largest single-site enforcement operation” in the agency’s history. He said that some of the workers arrested had crossed the border illegally while others did not have permission to work or had overstayed their visas.
Schrank said the arrested employees worked for a “variety of different companies that were on the site.” He said the action affected not only the parent company, but also subcontractors.
South Korea is one of the U.S.’s largest trading partners and one of its closest security allies in Asia, but relations have been tense amid tariff negotiations. U.S. and South Korean officials are still hammering out details of their trade deal, with vague investment goals by South Korea that the U.S. has touted.
Trump had originally threatened a 25 percent blanket tariff before Seoul ultimately secured a 15 percent levy through an agreement reached this summer.