ICE Raid on South Koreans Strains US-South Korea Ties, As Workers Repatriated 

More than 300 South Korean nationals returned home Thursday, a week after being detained by US immigration authorities in Georgia in an operation that shocked Seoul and raised questions about ties between the two allies as well as future foreign investment in the US, NBC News reported. 

Last week, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 475 workers on a construction site in the town of Ellabell, where South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are building an electric vehicle battery plant.  

Among those arrested were 317 South Koreans, many of them engineers and mechanics on temporary visas or visa waivers. Only 47 were directly employed by LG Energy Solution, with the rest working for subcontractors. 

US authorities alleged those arrested were working or living in the US illegally. No criminal charges have been filed. 

The South Korean nationals initially agreed to “voluntary departures” on Wednesday following a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

However, their departure was delayed for more than a day after President Donald Trump ordered a pause, asking if the skilled workers could stay to train US staff. Cho suggested the workers should return first, saying they were “already in shock and exhausted.” 

Only one worker chose to stay, according to South Korean officials. 

The ICE raid, coupled with images of the detained nationals, sparked anger in South Korea, which recently pledged to invest billions in the United States as part of tariff negotiations.  

Local media warned that the incident could have “a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States,” and urged the two countries to “cooperate to repair cracks in their alliance.” 

While South Korean President Lee Jae Myung believed the incident would not impact Seoul’s relations with Washington, he cautioned that it could make companies “very hesitant” about expanding in the US if highly skilled specialists cannot be sent freely, the BBC News wrote. 

The Hyundai–LG battery plant in Georgia – central to US plans to rival China in green tech – is expected to create 8,000 mostly American jobs once complete. 

Observers said the raid also highlighted some of the questionable visa practices by South Korean firms, which often dispatch teams abroad to install machinery and train workers, partly because such expertise is scarce in the US and long-term work visas are hard to obtain, according to the Washington Post. 

Lee confirmed the government is negotiating with Washington on new visa quotas or special visa categories to prevent repeat incidents.