South korea Announces Release of Workers Detained in Georgia Hyundai Plant Raid
Seoul officials announced Sunday that negotiations wiht U.S. authorities have resulted in an agreement for the release of over 300 South Korean workers detained during a raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant construction site in Ellabell, Georgia. A chartered flight will transport the workers home once remaining administrative processes are finalized.
The raid, carried out by U.S. immigration officials on Thursday,was the largest single-site operation of its kind under the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration enforcement efforts and reportedly took South Korean officials by surprise. Footage released by U.S. authorities depicted the detained workers,many in handcuffs and with ankle chains,being transported on an inmate bus.
“Consequently of the swift and united response… negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded,” stated Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to South Korean President lee jae Myung. He added, “Only administrative procedures remain. Once these are completed, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home.”
LG Energy Solution, a key partner in the project, confirmed that 47 of its employees were among those arrested – 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian national. The company estimates approximately 250 of those detained were employed by its contractors, with the majority also being South Korean citizens.In response to the situation, Kim Ki-soo, a senior executive at LG Energy Solution, traveled to Georgia on Sunday morning.”The immediate priority now is the swift release of both our LG Energy Solution employees and those of our partner firms,” he told reporters before departing.
