Consular officials meet detained South Koreans in US Hyundai plant raid

ISTANBUL

South Korean Consular officials began meeting Saturday with South Korean nationals detained in a US immigration crackdown at a Hyundai electric vehicle battery plant site in Georgia, Yonhap News reported Sunday.

Officials from the Consulate General in Atlanta met with detainees at an immigration center in Folkston, following their arrests in Thursday's raid at a site in Bryan County operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd.

A total of 475 people were arrested in what US officials said was a criminal investigation into alleged unlawful employment practices. More than 300 of those detained were South Koreans.

Consuls checked for "any humanitarian issues or inconveniences, and asked the US side to ensure that those issues won't arise," said an official from South Korea's on-site support team.

The team, led by Cho Ki-joong, consul general in Washington, is working to secure the release of the detained Koreans amid concerns about a prolonged investigation. Cho met officials at the Folkston ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Processing Center.

"I asked them to care about our citizens as much as they can to ensure that they do not experience inconveniences while at the center," he told reporters. He added that not all detainees were able to get a meeting, but consultations would continue Sunday.

"We are trying to find out about whether all of them have any big issue while staying there," he said. "Consuls have looked into the facility, and those that they have talked to were found to be in good shape."

Regarding their release, Cho said, "There isn't anything we can talk about at this point." US officials said the detainees will be moved based on individual circumstances.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Saturday that he may travel to the US after the immigration crackdown, and he is “deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals.”

"We will discuss sending a senior Foreign Ministry official to the site without delay, and, if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington to hold consultations with the US administration," he said.

The Georgia facility has been touted by state officials as a landmark investment. Gov. Brian Kemp called it the “largest economic development project in Georgia history” when it was announced in 2023.

The plant is still under construction and had been scheduled to become fully operational next year, though that timeline is unclear after the raid.