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US authorities released 330 Hyundai Motor workers detained in Georgia. President Lee Jae Myung warns future US investments may be at risk without visa reforms.
File photo of US immigration raids at Hyundai plant. (Screengrab from X)
Days after detaining more than 300 South Korean workers during a September 4 immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor manufacturing facility in Georgia, US authorities have released them ahead of their flight home.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that 330 workers, including 316 Koreans, were released and were being transported to Atlanta for a return flight to their home country.
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The raid, coming shortly after a high-profile summit between Lee and US President Donald Trump, has sparked outrage in the East Asian nation, with lawmakers and media accusing the US of overreach and disrespect.
According to news agency AP, many of the detained workers had either overstayed their visas or entered under visa waivers that didn’t permit employment. However, South Korean businesses say they’ve long relied on such methods to meet urgent labor needs during the initial phases of factory construction—often with tacit US tolerance.
In the wake of the raids and detention of the workers, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that Korean companies may rethink future investments in the US unless Washington reforms its visa policies for foreign workers.
Speaking at a press conference marking 100 days in office, Lee said the current US visa system creates serious obstacles for Korean firms needing to send skilled technicians to set up and operate industrial sites.
“If the U.S. can’t provide the workforce and won’t issue visas, building facilities there becomes very difficult for us,” Lee said, AP reported.
“It’s not like these are long-term workers. When you build a facility or install equipment at a plant, you need technicians, but the United States doesn’t have that workforce and yet they won’t issue visas to let our people stay and do the work,” he added.
“If that’s not possible, then establishing a local facility in the United States will either come with severe disadvantages or become very difficult for our companies. They will wonder whether they should even do it,” Lee further said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Washington has now agreed to let the workers return and finish their tasks, and both countries will establish a joint task force to explore a new visa category for short-term industrial workers.
The battery plant in Georgia is one of over 20 big projects that South Korean companies are working on in the US. These include more battery factories in Georgia and other states, a chip factory in Texas, and a shipbuilding project in Philadelphia — a type of work former President Trump often mentioned when talking about South Korea.
Experts warn that without visa reform, delays in Korean-led projects across the US—including semiconductor, shipbuilding, and battery plants—could hurt both economies.
“Korean companies will no longer be able to send their workers to the United States, causing inevitable delays in the expansion of facilities and other production activities, and the harm will boomerang back to the U.S. economy,” said Min Jeonghun, a professor at South Korea’s National Diplomatic Academy.
About the Author
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18…Read More
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18… Read More
Georgia
September 11, 2025, 13:09 IST
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