South Korean Workers Return Home After Mass Immigration Raid in U.S.

A chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-8I carrying more than 310 South Korean workers landed at Incheon International Airport on Friday, bringing home many of those caught in last week’s immigration raid in Georgia.

The workers were among the 475 people arrested at a Hyundai–LG battery factory construction site, where South Koreans made up the majority. The mass arrests sparked diplomatic concern between Seoul and Washington, as both sides scrambled to contain tensions.

“Everything at Atlanta went smoothly,” a foreign ministry official said before the flight touched down at about 3:25 pm local time. “The plane departed as scheduled with the planned number of passengers.”

The raid in Georgia was the largest single-site immigration enforcement action since U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sweeping crackdown after returning to office in January. Experts believe many of the detained workers were on visas that did not allow them to carry out hands-on construction work.

At the airport in Incheon, some people expressed outrage. One placard showed Trump in an ICE uniform with the words, “We’re friends, aren’t we?” An elderly man, unaffiliated with the workers, protested with a sign that read: “You told us to invest, only to arrest us! Is this how you treat an ally?”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described the raid as “bewildering” and warned it could discourage future investment. He said Seoul was negotiating with Washington “to ensure that visa issuance for investment-related purposes operates normally.”

The fallout has already hit operations at the Hyundai factory site. Chief Executive Officer Jose Munoz admitted the arrests would stall the project. “This is going to give us minimum two to three months delay, because now all these people want to get back,” he said. “Then you need to see how can you fill those positions. And, for the most part, those people are not in the US.”

Labour unions have also waded into the controversy. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) condemned the incident, demanding accountability. “The Trump administration’s excessive mass arrests and detentions were a clear violation of human rights,” the group said. “The KCTU stands in full solidarity with the workers returning today and strongly urges President Trump to issue an official apology and calls for (South Korea’s) suspension of investments in the US.”

LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its staff and around 250 contractor employees were detained. The company thanked the South Korean government for intervening. “We are especially grateful for their exceptional efforts… for their meticulous attention to addressing various concerns, including ensuring no disadvantages upon re-entry,” it said.

The raid shocked South Korea after images emerged showing workers handcuffed and chained. Officials in Seoul ensured those being repatriated would not face such treatment again during their flight home.

The factory site where the raid took place is part of a $4.3 billion project to build a battery cell manufacturing facility in Georgia. Industry sources noted that many South Korean companies often rely on their own workforces during development, sometimes using visa loopholes to keep projects on schedule.

LG, while acknowledging the disruption, said it remained committed to its U.S. investments and was working to minimise “any business impact resulting from this incident.”