Around 300 South Korean workers returned home on Friday, one week after being detained in a large-scale U.S. immigration raid at a battery project site in Georgia.
Workers wearing face masks began disembarking a chartered plane at Incheon airport and were greeted with cheers from officials including the presidential chief of staff.
Their return capped a week of intense negotiations by Seoul to win their release and bring them home after they were taken into custody in handcuffs and shackles - shocking many in South Korea, a key U.S. ally.
South Korean businesses have long struggled with obtaining proper visas for specialist workers needed at project sites for months at a time, which has led to some workers relying on grey areas in U.S. visa enforcement.
The two countries are looking at establishing a working group to consider a new type of visa for Koreans, according to South Korea's foreign minister who visited Washington this week.
The workers, also including 10 from China, three from Japan and an Indonesian national, were met by family members and officials at LG Energy Solution, and its subcontractors.
The battery company is partnering with Hyundai Motor to build the plant in Georgia.
The raid horrified South Koreans and has threatened to destabilise ties at a time when the countries are seeking to finalise a trade deal, which includes a $350 billion investment fund to support strategic U.S. industries.
In one sign of resentment, at the arrival gate, someone unfurled a poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump wearing an outfit with the initials of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service and carrying a bag full of dollar bills with a machine gun slung across his chest. The caption read: "We're friends!".
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who flew to Washington this week to seek a quick resolution, has called on U.S. officials to come up with a new visa for workers at Korean businesses investing in the United States.
President Lee Jae Myung warned on Thursday that the incident could make South Korean companies hesitant about investing in the U.S at a time when Trump has been seeking to encourage foreign investment in manufacturing.
Previously Trump had offered to allow them to stay in the United States, but only one has opted to remain, South Korean officials said on Thursday.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said talks between the United States and Iran had made "good progress", with both sides set to estab...
The visit also took on symbolic importance as the two leaders travelled to the liberated cities of Shusha and Fuzuli, areas Azerbaijan regained after ...
South Korea has announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia if they wish to relocate...
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited...
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal ...
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said talks between the United States and Iran had made "good progress", with both sides set to establish working groups in the coming days to discuss sanctions relief and issues related to Iran's nuclear programme.
The visit also took on symbolic importance as the two leaders travelled to the liberated cities of Shusha and Fuzuli, areas Azerbaijan regained after decades of occupation.
South Korea has announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia if they wish to relocate to the South, citing international law and opposition to forced repatriation.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
Three students have been killed and at least seven injured after two of their peers opened fire in a high school in the Philippines, police said. A spokesperson for the police said the two suspects, aged 14 and 15, had been arrested and a police pistol confiscated. Bullying is a possible motive.
South Korea has announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia if they wish to relocate to the South, citing international law and opposition to forced repatriation.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal waters as they tried to escape the heatwave.
A shooting in Montreal, Canada has left three people dead, including a police officer, a civilian and the suspected attacker, police said.
Attendees at undeclared free parties in France could face on-the-spot fines of €1,500 ($1,713) or up to six months in prison under proposed new legislation currently being reviewed by the French National Assembly.
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