US officials recently detained 475 individuals during a large-scale raid at a battery facility in Georgia, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state. Of those detained, over 300 were South Korean nationals who’d been employed illegally at the site. The incident has sparked significant diplomatic discussions between the United States and South Korea, especially as both countries are currently engaged in sensitive trade negotiations.
The raid, which took place on Tuesday, attracted swift condemnation from a host of international actors, including US President Donald Trump. He subsequently hailed the operation in a social media post. Trump made it clear that foreign companies need to commit to hiring American workers. This quote illustrates the unfamiliar consolidation of labor rights and immigrant rights activism seen in these painful tensions.
In a statement issued after the incursion, the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, Cho Hyun, promised cooperation with US law enforcement. Together, they will ensure that nothing like this happens again. Cho’s scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the White House on Wednesday morning. Join us for their insights on what this unexpected development means, in the context of relations between the US and South Korea.
The remaining detained South Korean workers will be returning home Wednesday. A chartered plane is scheduled to depart from the US around 14:30 local time (18:30 GMT), transporting them back to South Korea. According to Korean media reports, the plane will make its final return to Incheon International Airport on Thursday. South Korean TV has played footage of the charter plane departing from the airport on Wednesday morning multiple times.
South Korea has made a commitment of tens of billions of dollars in investment and business into the U.S. This investment is just one piece of their strategy to counteract tariffs placed by the American federal government. The raid’s timing and context in particular have raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in Seoul. It would deeply impact ongoing bilateral trade negotiations, as well as U.S.-China diplomatic engagement.