hankyoreh

On Sept. 8, 2025, Cho Ki-joong, the consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, arrives at the ICE detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, where hundreds of Koreans who were apprehended during an immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant site are being held. (Yonhap)

The Korean government has finalized negotiations with the US government to ensure that Korean citizens detained by US immigration authorities will not face disadvantages upon reentry to the US even if they return home voluntarily. The detainees are scheduled to board a Korean Air charter flight as soon as they are released from the facility and return via Incheon International Airport as early as Thursday local time.

According to government officials the Hankyoreh spoke to on Wednesday, the Korean government secured a promise from the US that “no disadvantages will be imposed” in the case that detainees reenter the US in the future, which was the most crucial element in their release negotiations.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arranged an unofficial agreement on this matter with US authorities before departing for Washington, DC, to finalize it. He is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others upon arriving in Washington on Wednesday.

During negotiations, the Korean government reportedly emphasized that blocking the detainees’ reentry would delay the completion of the battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, which is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Their argument leveraged the fact that delays would result in an unfavorable situation for the US as well, postponing the creation of 8,000 local jobs that the US government boasted this plant would provide to Georgia residents. The battery plant, with 97% of the construction process complete, was scheduled to begin operations by the end of October.

The Korean government reportedly stressed that detainees could not help but resort to visa workarounds due to the tight construction deadline. Instead of obtaining the H-1B visa that permits employment in the US, many construction workers at the plant have been relying on the B-1 visa, reserved for short-term business travel, or the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which is a visa waiver. 

“While it is true that some individuals who worked while on an ESTA violated US laws, the White House thankfully understands our position fully and is finalizing the administrative procedures [for detainees’ release],” stated Kim Yong-beom, the presidential office’s policy director, at a discussion hosted by the Korean Press Club on Tuesday.

The government plans to expedite the return of all arrested workers now that the concerns regarding reentry have been addressed. 

“The government and the companies involved are making every effort to prepare for [the workers’] departure from the US on Wednesday,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated Tuesday.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung said he felt a “deep responsibility as president” regarding the matter, saying that a president “bears the full responsibility for the safety of his people.” 

“The government will swiftly pursue sensible improvements to the system through close discussions with the US, and work to prevent similar cases from recurring,” the president added. 

The presidential office plans to establish a working group with the White House as needed to devise short-term solutions to visa issues.

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

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