ATLANTA — South Korea announced it has reached an agreement with the United States concerning its citizens detained during a major immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant in Georgia. A charter flight is anticipated to transport the detained individuals back home, pending the completion of necessary administrative procedures.
In response to the raid, President Donald Trump urged foreign companies operating in the U.S. to adhere to immigration regulations while continuing their investments. He emphasized the importance of complying with American laws and prioritizing the hiring and training of domestic workers in a post on Truth Social. Trump assured that the U.S. is open to foreign investments and would facilitate the legal entry of technical talent from abroad to enhance productivity and unity within the nation.
The large-scale operation, conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, resulted in the detention of 475 workers at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution site, marking one of the largest raids at a single location. The South Korean presidential office confirmed the agreement to secure the release of its detained citizens, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff for South Korea, indicated that while a charter flight would be arranged, the specifics of whether the workers could leave voluntarily or face deportation remain uncertain. Deportation could impede their re-entry into the U.S. for an extended period. The raid has provoked significant backlash in South Korea, prompting government officials to advocate for the release of their citizens. To facilitate this, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to visit Washington to finalize the agreement and discuss potential changes in visa policies to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Yonhap News Agency reported that the charter flight might return some of the workers as early as Wednesday. Disturbing images of detainees, reportedly shackled and held in facilities described as inferior to prisons, have sparked public outrage in South Korea.
This incident occurred only weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s meeting with Trump at the White House, where Korean companies pledged substantial investments amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. Hyundai announced a commitment of $26 billion by 2028, extending beyond automobiles to include sectors such as steel and robotics.
Hyundai clarified that none of its direct employees were among those detained; however, workers from subcontractors were among the individuals apprehended. LG confirmed that 47 of its workers were detained and has since suspended business travel to the U.S.
Following the news of the raid, retail sentiment for Hyundai on Stocktwits appeared positive, with a significant increase in message volume reflecting bullish sentiment. As a result, Hyundai’s South Korean stock saw a rise of 2.6% thus far in 2025.
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