SEOUL, South Korea — Over 300 South Korean workers are set to return home on a chartered flight from Atlanta following their detention for alleged illegal work at a South Korean-invested electric vehicle battery plant in Bryan County, Georgia.
The incident has sent shockwaves throughout South Korea, particularly in light of the handcuffing and chaining of the skilled technicians by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
This situation poses a significant potential barrier to South Korea’s contributions to President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on American manufacturing, with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressing concerns about future direct investments in the U.S.
“This could significantly impact future direct investment in the U.S.,” President Lee stated during a press conference, just a fortnight after he and President Trump spoke about enhancing economic cooperation between the two nations.
Lawmaker Yoon Hu-duk was harsher in his criticism at a parliamentary hearing, stating bluntly, “The U.S. has encouraged investments in negotiations. And then it stabbed us in the back, to be frank.”
The charter flight’s departure was initially delayed as U.S. and South Korean officials negotiated terms for the release of the workers.
After a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced that the U.S. had acceded to two key requests from Seoul.
The first was to allow the workers to be transported from a detention facility to the Atlanta airport without physical restraints such as handcuffs.
The second assurance was that these workers would face no impediments to reentering the United States for future work, according to Cho’s statements to reporters.
Initially, there was contention between the two governments regarding whether the workers would be allowed to leave voluntarily or face deportation, which could complicate any future reentry into the country.
Despite the seemingly cordial resolution of the situation, stark language from U.S. officials contrasted the diplomatic discussions, with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations labeling the raid its largest enforcement action at a single site.
President Trump defended the detainees’ situation, indicating, “I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job.”
The workers were part of a larger group of 475 individuals arrested during the operation.
Analysts have pointed out that while South Korea emerged as the largest foreign investor in the U.S. in 2023, this achievement is relatively new.
Other countries like Singapore and Australia, which have free trade agreements with the U.S., have successfully negotiated visa quotas for their skilled workers, a benefit South Korea currently lacks.
Both governments have committed to addressing this discrepancy in visa procedures.
The incident highlights a larger conflict between state and federal U.S. government agencies, balancing the desire for foreign investments against the stringent immigration controls that the American public generally supports.
Jang Sang-sik, head of the International Trade Research Institute at the Korea International Trade Association, emphasized that such enforcement actions could deter future foreign investments.
“Manufacturing is different from the service industry,” he remarked, indicating that while capital is crucial, a substantial workforce of skilled technicians is necessary to support the manufacturing sector.
In their efforts to rejuvenate manufacturing, Jang argues, U.S. policies may have focused excessively on capital while sidelining the importance of skilled labor.
The high-tech factory in question forms part of a significant $7.59 billion investment from South Korea’s Hyundai and LG conglomerates.
Experts like Hur Jung, a professor at Sogang University, stress that skilled South Korean technicians and engineers are necessary to bring the plant online, after which American workers will operate it.
Due to the lack of a dedicated visa quota, South Korean technicians have increasingly been utilizing short-term visas to circumvent existing restrictions, as they are important to the plant’s initial setup.
South Korea remains a leader in high-tech sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors—a crucial area for the U.S. as it competes with China.
Furthermore, South Korea is home to the largest U.S. military base outside the continental U.S., representing an important strategic alliance for both nations.
However, Jang notes that South Korea is likely to temper its criticism of the raid due to its numerous requests from the U.S., including the need for support in countering threats from China and North Korea, as well as concerns about potential U.S. military withdrawal from South Korea.
If managed effectively, Jang believes the resolution of the factory incident could bolster South Korean companies’ economic activities in the United States.
image source from：npr
