South Korean officials seek 'swift' resolution after Georgia arrests
South Korea might send a government official to Washington after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested at an under-construction Hyundai battery plant.
South Korean officials might visit Washington to resolve issues that led to the arrest of 457 people during a federal immigration enforcement raid at a jointly owned Hyundai battery plant in Georgia on Thursday. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI UPI
Sept. 6 (UPI) -- South Korea might send a government official to Washington to resolve issues after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested at an under-construction Hyundai battery plant in Georgia.
South Korean officials convened an emergency meeting following the Thursday raid by federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement, who arrested 457 "unlawful aliens" working at the electric vehicle battery plant in Bryan County, Ga.
About 300 are South Koreans, who were working at the plant run by the HL-GA Battery Co., which is jointly owned by South Korean firms Hyundai Motor Co. and LG Energy Solution Ltd.
"We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals," South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said during the meeting.
"If necessary, I will personally travel to Washington to hold consultations with the U.S. administration," Cho said.
Homeland Security Investigations said the raid was the largest in its history and occurred after investigating the plant for several months, NPR reported.
Most of those who were arrested are being held at a Folkston, Ga., detention center, many of whom have expired visas or entered the United States via a waiver program that does not allow them to work.
Officials with LG Energy Solution have suspended all the company's business-related trips to the United States and have encouraged employees in the United States to either stay at their places of residence or return to South Korea.
Construction on the battery plant has stopped, and HL-GA Battery officials are cooperating with U.S. investigators.
