South Korean Foreign Minister Flies to Washington

TDT | Manama

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South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun left for Washington on Monday to hold urgent talks following the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers in a U.S. immigration raid.

U.S. immigration officials arrested around 475 people, including South Korean employees, at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in Georgia on Thursday. Authorities described it as the largest raid of its kind on a single site under President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown.

Minister Cho described the situation as serious, saying, “The fact that more than 300 of our citizens are being detained is a grave situation. I will do my utmost during my visit to the United States to resolve this quickly so that they can return home in good health.”

He added that South Korea would also work with the U.S. on long-term measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

On Sunday, Seoul said an agreement had been reached with the U.S. to release and repatriate the detained workers. A chartered plane will take them home once administrative procedures are completed.

Speaking at an emergency parliamentary hearing, Cho said the government aims to prevent the workers from receiving a five-year ban from entering the U.S. He noted that negotiations were progressing well and that a broad agreement had been reached to ensure the workers would not face further disadvantages, though final confirmation is still pending.

Cho also acknowledged some local frustration, noting that LG had explained it could not hire American workers until the plant was finished, a situation that appears to have caused discontent locally.