South Korea Seeks Resolution After U.S. Detains 300 Hyundai-LGES Workers

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to the United States on Monday to address tensions following the detention of around 300 Korean workers at a Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution (LGES) battery plant in Georgia. The workers, employed mostly by subcontractors, were among 475 arrested during what U.S. authorities described as the largest single-site immigration enforcement operation in Homeland Security history.

Seoul confirmed that negotiations with Washington have concluded, paving the way for the detained Koreans to be flown home this week via a “voluntary departure.” The operation, involving armored vehicles and shackling of workers, sparked outrage in South Korea, which is finalizing a U.S. trade deal signed in July. The raid also came just days after South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, met U.S. President Donald Trump to strengthen economic ties.

Trump defended the crackdown, calling those detained “illegal aliens,” while also stating foreign firms are welcome to invest if they follow U.S. immigration laws. He added that skilled workers would be allowed entry legally and quickly.

The battery plant, a $4.3 billion Hyundai-LGES project, is key to U.S. electric vehicle production and part of South Korea’s broader $350 billion investment pledge in the American market. The arrests, however, prompted both Hyundai and LGES to suspend non-essential business trips to the U.S., with LGES recalling staff currently there.

The incident underscores growing challenges for global companies navigating U.S. immigration enforcement while pursuing major investments. Seoul has voiced strong dissatisfaction with both the arrests and the release of footage showing the raid, highlighting the diplomatic strain at a critical moment for U.S.-Korea trade relations.