South Korea to repatriate 300 workers detained in Hyundai plant raid in US: All you need to know

On Thursday, US immigration officers raided the construction site of a Hyundai–LG electric vehicle battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | September 7, 2025 09:52 PM IST

3 min read

An American flag flies above a piece of heavy machinery at the site of Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

South Korea has agreed with the United States to secure the release of hundreds of its citizens detained in an immigration raid at a factory site in Georgia. The government in Seoul said it would arrange a charter flight to bring them home, The New York Times reported.

What happened?

On Thursday, US immigration officers raided the construction site of a Hyundai–LG electric vehicle battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. According to South Korea’s foreign ministry, 475 people were arrested, including about 300 South Korean citizens.

How did South Korea respond?

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, told senior officials on Sunday: “There are some administrative procedures left, but once they are cleared, we will send a chartered plane to bring our people home. We will not let our guard down until we have our people safely back home.”

Also read | South Korea says it has reached a deal with the US for the release of workers in a Georgia plant

He also said South Korea would review visa procedures for workers travelling to the US for business projects “so that similar incidents won’t be repeated.”

When will the release happen?

Kang did not give a date for the plane’s departure but said the plan showed that both governments were working on a diplomatic solution after several days of tension.

Who was detained?

Industry officials told The New York Times that those detained included LG employees visiting on short-term business visas or under a visa waiver programme to give technical guidance, as well as South Korean construction workers hired by subcontractors.

Also read | South Korean president vows support after hundreds held in US ICE raid at Hyundai factory

US immigration officials accused South Korean companies of favouring foreign workers over Americans by bringing in people without proper authorisation.

Story continues below this ad

The raid forced construction to stop at the Georgia plant. Kang confirmed South Korea would continue the project despite the disruption.

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has urged South Korean firms such as Hyundai, Samsung and LG to invest billions in US factories. At the same time, it has tightened visa rules, making it harder for companies to send workers to support those projects.

From the homepage