(BBC News) South Korea’s government says it has reached an agreement with the US to release its citizens detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the state of Georgia.
The chief of staff of South Korea’s president said a chartered plane would be sent to bring the detainees home if administration procedures were completed.
Kang Hoon-sik said the authorities were trying to improve the visa system to prevent such incidents in the future.
US officials detained 475 people — more than 300 of them South Korean nationals — who they said were found to be illegally working at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
Media in both countries report that South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is expected to travel to the United States on Monday.
The White House has defended the operation at Hyundai, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment. President Donald Trump took aim at the raid in a post on social media and called for foreign companies to hire Americans.
“I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump said in the post on Sunday.
He said the US would make it easy for foreign companies to legally bring their “great technical talent, to build World Class products” but, asked that in return, these companies “hire and train American Workers”.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj07jzgve45o
