South Korea is preparing to send a chartered plane to Georgia to bring home hundreds of its citizens caught in a major U.S. immigration sweep. More than 470 people were detained during the raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in the town of Ellabell, and over 300 of them are South Korean nationals. According to Reuters, it was the largest single-site immigration enforcement action carried out by the Department of Homeland Security in years.
Seoul quickly stepped in, with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul flying to Washington to negotiate the release of the workers. Under the deal reached, the South Koreans will be allowed to leave voluntarily rather than face formal deportation. This approach gives them a smoother path to return in the future if visa conditions are properly arranged. Politico reported that the workers were being held in a federal detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, before being processed for departure.
The government said Hyundai and LG will help cover the cost of the operation, which involves flying the group directly from Atlanta to Incheon on a special charter flight. President Lee Jae Myung called the situation “a matter of national duty,” pledging to protect citizens abroad, particularly those working on large overseas projects tied to South Korea’s global investments.
The raid has sparked anger in South Korea, where many view the images of detained workers as heavy-handed treatment of nationals from a close U.S. ally. At the same time, Washington insists the operation was focused on visa compliance rather than targeting South Koreans specifically. The battery plant itself is a flagship project meant to bolster America’s electric vehicle supply chain, backed by billions in investment.
This episode has become a reminder of the vulnerabilities foreign workers face when deployed abroad under temporary or project-based visas. Seoul is now under pressure to improve oversight and ensure that its labor force is better protected when participating in major international ventures.
As the first charter plane prepares to depart Atlanta this week, the priority for both governments is getting people home safely while keeping broader U.S.–South Korea cooperation on track.