South Korea said it has reached a deal with Washington to free its citizens detained in last week’s Georgia raid, with a charter flight expected to bring them home once paperwork is completed.
President Donald Trump responded to the immigration raid at Hyundai Motor’s battery plant site in Georgia by urging foreign companies to respect American immigration rules while continuing to invest in the U.S.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that foreign investments are welcome and that the U.S. will “make it quickly and legally possible” for firms to bring in technical talent from abroad. However, he emphasized that companies must comply with U.S. law and also prioritize hiring and training American workers. “Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s remarks came in the wake of a sweeping Homeland Security raid, the largest ever carried out at a single location, that detained 475 workers at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery project in Georgia, according to a Bloomberg report.
South Korea’s presidential office said Sunday it reached an agreement with Washington to release the South Korean citizens it detained, The Wall Street Journal noted.
Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said a charter flight will be organized once administrative procedures are completed, although it is unclear whether the workers will be allowed to leave voluntarily or be deported, a move that could keep them out of the U.S. for years.
The raid has stirred anger in Seoul, where government officials have been working to secure the release of the citizens. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington on Monday to finalize arrangements and push for changes to visa policies to prevent similar incidents.
The charter flight could return some of the workers as soon as Wednesday, according to Yonhap News Agency. Local media published images of detainees shackled and described the facilities as “worse than prisons,” sparking outrage among the public.
Local media published images of detainees shackled and described the facilities as “worse than prisons,” sparking outrage among the public.
The raid occurred less than two weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Trump at the White House, where Korean firms pledged hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. investments. Hyundai itself raised its U.S. commitment to $26 billion through 2028, expanding beyond cars to steel and robotics.
Hyundai said none of its direct employees were detained, though subcontractors and partner staff were among those held. LG confirmed 47 of its workers were detained and has suspended U.S. business travel.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Hyundai was ‘bullish’ amid ‘high’ message volume.
Hyundai’s South Korean stock has risen 2.6% so far in 2025.
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