South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid in Georgia Thursday will be returned to South Korea on a chartered flight following negotiations, an official announced Sunday.
“Negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded, after swift responses by the relevant ministries, business agencies, and companies,” said South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik.
“However, some administrative procedures remain, and once they’re completed, a chartered plane will depart to bring back our citizens,” he added.
The workers were among 475 detained Thursday during a large-scale immigration raid at the Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia, which houses an electric vehicle battery plant jointly operated by South Korea-based companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. About 300 of those detained are South Korean, officials said.
The operation was one of the most extensive immigration raids in recent US history and the largest so far of President Donald Trump’s crackdown at workspaces across the country.
The South Korean government has been actively working to secure the workers’ release, along with the Korean Embassy in Washington, DC, and the Consulate General in Atlanta.
Credit: cnn.com
