South Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun heads to the U.S. on Monday to discuss visa reforms after 300 Korean workers were detained in a massive immigration raid at Hyundai-LG Energy Solution’s (LGES) $4.3 billion battery plant in Georgia. Authorities plan to fly the workers home later this week.
The detention, part of the largest single-site operation in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) history, targeted 475 workers, mostly employed by subcontractors.
Video footage showed armoured vehicles and some workers shackled, sparking concern in Seoul.
The raid occurred just 10 days after South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung met U.S. President Donald Trump, during which both pledged closer business ties.
It also came amid South Korea’s commitment to a $350 billion investment in the U.S. market, including Hyundai’s Georgia project, a joint venture with LGES producing batteries for electric vehicles.
Cho will focus on arranging a “voluntary departure” for the detained workers via a chartered flight and on broader improvements to the U.S. visa system for Korean workers, a ministry official said. Processing for their release is ongoing, with officials aiming for departure by midweek.
U.S. President Trump, who has expanded nationwide deportations, said he was not aware of the raid beforehand and labelled those detained “illegal aliens.”
On Sunday, he struck a more conciliatory tone, encouraging foreign companies to bring skilled workers legally.
“Your investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The operation followed a judicial search warrant investigating alleged unlawful employment practices, including workers who had crossed the border illegally or overstayed visas. DHS has not commented further, while White House border official Tom Homan vowed more workplace enforcement.
The detentions have raised tensions as Hyundai and LGES expand U.S. operations. Hyundai has asked some staff to suspend non-essential trips, and LGES is recalling employees currently in the U.S., except for essential personnel. Chris Susock, Hyundai’s North America chief manufacturing officer, will oversee the Georgia site.
Relations between Washington and Seoul remain sensitive, with the raid occurring during negotiations over the broader U.S.-South Korea trade and investment deal.
Cho’s upcoming talks with U.S. Secretary State Marco Rubio on 8 September aim to prevent a similar incident in the future and maintain confidence in South Korea’s investments in the United States.
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Denmark announced on Sunday that it was banning civilian drone flights after sightings of drones near several military facilities overnight, following a week in which drone activity forced the temporary closure of a number of Danish airports.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday called on his Labour Party to stop “navel gazing” and to unite against Reform UK, accusing the rising populist party of pursuing a “racist policy” of mass deportation if it came to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday there was “a real chance for greatness in the Middle East”, though he offered no concrete details or timeline, just days after claiming he was close to securing an agreement to end the conflict in Gaza.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has vowed a “significant improvement” in the security of government administrative systems after a major fire at the national data centre brought online services across the country to a halt.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Denmark announced on Sunday that it was banning civilian drone flights after sightings of drones near several military facilities overnight, following a week in which drone activity forced the temporary closure of a number of Danish airports.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday called on his Labour Party to stop “navel gazing” and to unite against Reform UK, accusing the rising populist party of pursuing a “racist policy” of mass deportation if it came to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday there was “a real chance for greatness in the Middle East”, though he offered no concrete details or timeline, just days after claiming he was close to securing an agreement to end the conflict in Gaza.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has vowed a “significant improvement” in the security of government administrative systems after a major fire at the national data centre brought online services across the country to a halt.
The Kremlin on Sunday dismissed warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Russian officials should familiarise themselves with bomb shelters, saying Kyiv was losing the conflict and that its negotiating position was weakening.
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