South Korea Offers Assistance To Citizens Arrested In The US Immigration Raid
Seoul has pledged support for South Koreans arrested in the biggest immigration raid at a Hyundai facility in the United States.
Following the arrest of hundreds of South Koreans in a massive US immigration raid on a Hyundai Motor vehicle battery business in Georgia, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a full-scale government reaction.
After more than 300 South Koreans were detained at the facility in the Savannah area on Thursday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced on Saturday that a task group had been formed to handle the situation. Cho went on to say that if needed, he might visit Washington to speak with US authorities.
“I am really worried. During an emergency cabinet meeting, the minister stated, “I feel a great deal of responsibility for the arrests of our citizens.”
Approximately 475 workers were detained as a result of the operation, which has been called the greatest enforcement action at a single location in US Department of Homeland Security history. It is a component of President Donald Trump’s increasingly harsh immigration policies.
Disagreements over a trade pact involving $350 billion in South Korean investment in the United States have already put Washington and Seoul’s relationship to the test, and this event might further erode that relationship.
LG Energy Solution, Hyundai’s joint venture partner, acknowledged that 47 of its workers were among those arrested. About 250 employees of contractors working at the site were also detained, the business reported. As a result, LG has banned the majority of business travel to the US and told employees overseas to go back home unless they are necessary for client meetings.
For South Korea, whose businesses have made significant investments in US manufacturing and clean energy projects, the arrests come at a delicate time. There is increasing pressure on the Seoul government to balance its diplomatic and economic relations with Washington while securing the release of its residents.
