Seoul expresses regret after S Korean workers detained by ICE amid Trump’s crackdown
Seoul has urged the United States to treat South Korean workers fairly following an immigration raid conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Hyundai automobile plant in Georgia.
ICE agents led a raid at the plant in collaboration with several US law enforcement agencies, prompted by reports of "unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes."
In a post on X, the Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that it had joined other agencies in arresting 450 "unlawful aliens" at the plant. However, it remains unclear how many South Koreans were detained during the operation.
The raid on Hyundai's massive metaplant, located in Bryan County just outside Savannah in Ellabell, led to a temporary halt in car manufacturing projects among the Hyundai operators at the site.
The raid comes as the Trump administration has been aggressively targeting millions of undocumented migrants in the United States.
On Friday, the South Korean government emphasized that its citizens' rights must not be violated in the course of Korean businesses' operations in the US.
A spokesperson for the foreign ministry stated, "Many of our nationals were caught up in the operation."
They further asserted, "The economic activities of our companies investing in the United States and the interests of our citizens must not be unduly compromised during US law enforcement actions."
The South Korean foreign ministry also announced that it would dispatch diplomats to assist its nationals at the location.
"In Seoul, we conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the US Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon."
South Korean companies have pledged to invest billions of dollars in key US industries in the coming years, partly as a strategy to avoid the hefty tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on many countries globally.
Netanyahu begs Trump for ‘more’ help for pardon amid corruption case
Final SIGAR report finds decades of US corruption, waste in Afghanistan
Trump set to unveil Gaza governance plan before Christmas: Report
‘Sickening’: Trump’s ‘Peace Prize’ moment at World Cup draw sparks worldwide cringe
Iran drawn against Belgium, Egypt, New Zealand in 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G
VIDEO | Slamming ‘Greater Israel’ project
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | UAE-backed separatists seize key provinces in eastern Yemen
VIDEO | New data reveals India’s exports slide sharply over US tariffs
Man shot dead leaving mosque as Israeli raids, settler violence sweep West Bank
Niger accuses French nuclear giant Orano of ‘mass crimes’
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
