Flight Scheduled to Depart Atlanta With 300 Korean Workers Delayed by US
Charter plane to bring South Korean workers home from Atlanta.
A Korean Air Boeing 747-8i touched down in Atlanta on Wednesday, poised to repatriate over 300 South Korean workers detained in a massive U.S. immigration raid last week at a Hyundai battery factory in Georgia. The flight, initially set to depart the same day, was delayed due to unspecified U.S.-side issues, with South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirming a rescheduled departure for Thursday at noon. The dramatic operation follows a September 4 raid that saw 475 workers, predominantly South Koreans, rounded up at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution joint venture, sparking outrage and diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and its key ally.
The raid, the largest single-site enforcement action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, targeted a battery plant under construction at Hyundai’s sprawling auto complex in Ellabell, Georgia. U.S. authorities released footage showing some workers shackled with chains around their hands, ankles, and waists—an image that ignited shock and a sense of betrayal in South Korea. The visuals, broadcast widely, left many South Koreans reeling, with some calling the incident a “national disgrace” just weeks after a high-profile summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump on August 25, where billions in investment deals were discussed.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry swiftly negotiated an agreement with U.S. officials for the workers’ release, ensuring “voluntary” departures to avoid formal deportations that could bar them from returning to the U.S. for up to a decade. The detained workers, held at an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, are being transported 460 kilometers to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for the charter flight. South Korean media reported three empty buses stationed at the detention center, ready to ferry the workers to freedom.
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During a Wednesday meeting in Washington, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun pressed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure the workers’ swift departure without further humiliation, such as handcuffing, and to secure their eligibility for future U.S. entry. Cho also proposed a joint U.S.-South Korea working group to establish a new visa category for skilled South Korean workers, addressing longstanding issues with the U.S. visa system. South Korean companies, including Hyundai, LG, and Samsung, have relied on short-term B-1/B-2 visas or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for workers setting up major industrial projects, a practice previously tolerated but now under scrutiny.
The raid has exposed tensions in the U.S.-South Korea alliance, forged during the Korean War and bolstered by the presence of 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. South Korean officials and experts argue that the U.S. has failed to adapt its visa policies to accommodate the skilled labor needed for the $4.3 billion Georgia battery plant and over 20 other South Korean-led industrial projects across the U.S. Atlanta immigration attorney Charles Kuck, representing several detained workers, emphasized that the specialized machinery at the plant requires expertise not readily available in the U.S., with training local workers potentially taking years.
President Trump defended the raid, stating the workers were “here illegally” and advocating for foreign experts to train U.S. citizens for such roles. Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution instructed its U.S.-based employees on short-term visas to halt work and those with ESTAs to return home immediately, signaling heightened caution. South Korean President Lee, addressing a Cabinet Council meeting, expressed regret and vowed to protect South Korean businesses from future disruptions.
As the charter plane prepares to depart, the incident underscores the delicate balance of economic cooperation and immigration enforcement between the two nations. While South Korea is unlikely to retaliate, the raid could strain diplomatic ties, particularly as Seoul pushes for visa reforms to support its growing U.S. investments.
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