South Korean nationals detained in Georgia's Hyundai raid to be released

David Aaro, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sep 7, 2025

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South Korean officials on Sunday said negotiations have concluded to secure the release of hundreds of workers who were detained during a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai Metaplant near Savannah.

“Negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded, after swift responses by the relevant ministries, business agencies and companies,” South Korean presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said, according to CNN.

“However, some administrative procedures remain, and once they’re completed, a chartered plane will depart to bring back our citizens,” Hoon-sik added.

The more than 300 workers were among the 475 people detained during an operation at a construction site on the Hyundai Metaplant campus on Thursday. Officials said about 300 were South Korean. It was the largest single immigration raid in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.

The battery factory is part of Hyundai Motor Group’s 3,000-acre Metaplant site that has been touted by Georgia leaders as the largest economic development deal in state history. The arrest stemmed from a monthslong investigation into alleged undocumented and illegal work at the plant in Bryan County.

In 2022, Georgia and local leaders offered Hyundai a taxpayer-backed incentive package estimated at $1.8 billion to build the vehicle factory near Savannah.

Gov. Brian Kemp has been in favor of recruiting Hyundai’s projects to Georgia, though he also announced a partnership with Georgia’s Department of Public Safety and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March to “assist in identifying and apprehending illegal aliens who pose a risk to public safety in the state.”

“All companies operating within the state must follow the laws of Georgia and our nation,” a Kemp spokesperson said.

A day before the raid, Kemp announced an investment to bring a U.S. subsidiary of a Korean biotechnology company to Georgia. JS Link America Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of JS Link, would invest about $223 million to establish a new rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing facility at Muscogee Technology Park in Columbus, Ga.

South Korea’s political leadership have expressed concern over the detainment of the workers. Lee Jaewoong, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, stated the “economic activities of our investment companies and the rights and interests of our citizens must not be unjustly violated during U.S. law enforcement proceedings,” according to several media outlets.

During an emergency Saturday afternoon meeting in Seoul, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun ordered officials to make “all-out efforts” to solve the situation. Cho hinted at the possibility of going to the U.S. while expressing “deep concern and a grave sense of responsibility” during Saturday’s meeting, the Korea Herald reported.

The Consulate General in Atlanta, Korean Embassy in Washington and a dispatched response team have been working to help.

“To prevent a recurrence of similar cases, we will work together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the companies concerned to review and improve the visa system and stay status of people traveling to the U.S. for investment projects,” Hoon-sik said Sunday, according to CNN.

“The government will ensure that all necessary measures are effectively implemented to achieve both the swift release of our detained citizens and the stable implementation of the investment projects,” he added.

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