Over 300 South Koreans arrested in US raid on Hyundai-LG battery plant

ATLANTA, United States (MNTV) — US immigration authorities arrested more than 300 South Korean nationals in a raid at a Hyundai-LG battery factory construction site in Georgia, according to South Korea’s foreign minister. The arrests were part of a wider sweep that detained 475 workers.

US Homeland Security Investigations special agent Steven Schrank said the raid was the largest single-site operation so far under President Donald Trump’s nationwide anti-migrant crackdown. He stressed the action stemmed from a “multi-month criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimes,” not a routine immigration roundup.

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told an emergency meeting in Seoul that “more than 300” of those detained were South Korean citizens. “We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over this matter,” Cho said, adding he was prepared to travel to Washington for talks if necessary.

Schrank confirmed that the workers were “illegally present in the United States” and “working unlawfully.” Those taken into custody were transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential deportation.

Asked about the raid, Trump said: “I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job.”

South Korea had already urged Washington to respect the rights of its nationals, with foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong stating that “the economic activities of our investors and the legitimate rights and interests of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the course of US law enforcement.”