SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean charter plane left for the U.S. on Wednesday to bring back Korean workers detained in an immigration raid in Georgia. A total of 475 workers, more than 300 of them South Koreans, were rounded up in the Sept. 4 raid at the battery factory under construction at Hyundai’s sprawling auto plant west of Savannah. Some were shown shackled with chains around their hands, ankles, and waists in video released by U.S. authorities. South Korea’s government later said it reached an agreement with the U.S. for the release of the workers. South Korean TV footage showed what it said was the charter plane taking off at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on Wednesday morning. The plane will return to South Korea with the detained workers on Thursday afternoon, media reports said. The workplace raid by the U.S. Homeland Security agency was its largest yet as it pursues its mass deportation agenda. It targeted Georgia, where many large South Korean businesses operate and plan future investments. Only weeks ago, South Korea promised hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. investments to reach a tariff deal. U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held their first summit in Washington on Aug. 25. Trump said this week the workers were 'here illegally,' emphasizing the need for collaboration with other countries to train U.S. citizens for specialized jobs like battery and computer manufacturing.
Charter Plane on Route to Bring Back Detained Korean Workers
Charter Plane on Route to Bring Back Detained Korean Workers
A South Korean charter plane departs for the U.S. to retrieve workers detained during a massive immigration raid in Georgia, which impacted over 300 South Koreans.
On Wednesday, a charter plane from South Korea set off to the U.S. to collect workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai battery factory in Georgia. The raid, conducted by U.S. Homeland Security, rounded up 475 workers, with more than 300 being South Korean nationals. The South Korean government negotiated for their release, and the plane is expected to return with the workers on Thursday afternoon. This major raid coincides with ongoing discussions between the U.S. and South Korea regarding investments and tariffs.
