Imagine being thousands of miles from home and suddenly caught in one of the biggest immigration raids in U.S. history… 😳 That's exactly what happened to nearly 300 South Korean workers last week at a car battery plant in Georgia.
A team from U.S. Homeland Security swooped in at the $4.3 billion Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution site, arresting about 300 Koreans and 175 others. The raid sent shockwaves through Seoul and left many families on edge.
Enter Korean Air: the airline is dispatching a Boeing 747-8i with 368 seats to Atlanta – target takeoff as early as Wednesday – to bring detained workers back home. ✈️🇰🇷
At a cabinet meeting, President Lee Jae Myung said he feels "heavy responsibility" and vowed to negotiate with Washington "in the spirit of our alliance" for a fair solution. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in DC, seeking guarantees that returnees can re-enter the U.S. and exploring special work permits for Korean professionals.
This operation is the largest single-site case ever for the Department of Homeland Security's investigative arm. The timing is sensitive: South Korea and the U.S. are close to finalizing a new trade agreement signed in July.
Back home, a Realmeter poll found nearly 60% of Koreans feel the raid was too harsh, while 30% called it unavoidable. Details around visa rules – like the 90-day waiver program or B-1 business visas – are still under review.
With talks underway in Washington and a rescue flight on the horizon, families are hopeful. For now, eyes are on Seoul and Washington to see how they turn this crisis into a win-win solution. 🤝
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
