The presidential office announced on September 7 that negotiations for the release of Korean workers detained in the U.S. had been concluded, following the arrest of more than 300 Koreans on alleged immigration violations “at the construction site of a Korean battery plant in Georgia.

Although the worst-case scenario of prolonged detention has been avoided, the incident is expected to leave significant strains on Korea-U.S. relations. Critics argue that the Trump administration disregarded the rights of allied Korean nationals and the business activities of Korean investors during its law enforcement actions. Observers also point to the contradiction in President Donald Trump’s drive to revive U.S. manufacturing by attracting foreign investment while simultaneously tightening visa and immigration enforcement. Calls are growing for the Korean government to devise fundamental visa-related measures for future U.S. investments.

In opening remarks at a high-level party-government meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Senior Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said, “As soon as administrative procedures are completed, a chartered plane will depart to bring our people home.” He added, “To prevent similar incidents, we will work with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and related companies to review and improve the visa system for personnel dispatched to U.S. projects,” stressing that “all measures will be carried out with determination.”

President Lee Jae-myung had instructed the Foreign Ministry and the Korean Embassy in Washington the previous day to “mobilize all efforts for a swift resolution,” emphasizing that “the rights of our people and the business activities of Korean investors in the U.S. must not be unfairly infringed upon in the course of American law enforcement.”

On September 4 (local time), the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a joint battery plant of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Savannah, Georgia, arresting 475 people, including 300 Koreans. The HSI said in a briefing on the 5th that it was “the largest single-site operation in HSI’s history.”

U.S. authorities said those detained were employees of LG Energy Solution as well as subcontractors and sub-subcontractors. They had reportedly entered the U.S. on short-term business visas such as B1 (for business trips and meetings) or through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

The raid appears to have been triggered by a tip-off from a Republican politician aligned with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement, one of his core support bases. Tory Branham, identified as the whistleblower, told Korea’s Yonhap News, “Tax breaks were granted, but the Korean companies hardly hired Georgia residents.” On September 5, President Trump commented on the large-scale arrests of Koreans, saying, "They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job.”

The fact that the raid targeted a major Korean corporate investment site and led to the mass detention of Koreans has raised concerns that Korea-U.S. economic cooperation is being put to the test. The BBC reported, “The raid raises a possible tension between two of President Donald Trump's top priorities - building up manufacturing within the US and cracking down on illegal immigration. It could also put stress on the country's relationship with a key ally.”