TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The South Korean government is actively lobbying the United States (US) to release its citizens who were detained in the immigration raid conducted by US immigration authorities at the Hyundai plant in Georgia. Senior officials at the South Korean Presidential Office stated that negotiations for their release have been concluded. A chartered plane will be dispatched from the US to pick them up once administrative procedures are completed.
'There are still remaining administrative procedures,' said Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the South Korean President, during a high-level meeting between the ruling Democratic Party and the government on Sunday, September 7, 2025. 'After the procedures are completed, a chartered plane will depart to pick up our citizens,' he said as quoted by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
The US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) together with the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Georgia State Police conducted a raid on the electric vehicle complex of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) and LG Energy Solution in Bryan County, Georgia on September 4, 2025. The operation targeted illegal immigrants and resulted in the detention of 457 individuals, with more than 300 of them being Korean nationals.
An Indonesian citizen (WNI) was also arrested by ICE during the raid. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the individual, identified by the initials CHT, was in the midst of a business visit and possessed full documentation for their agenda in America.
ICE stated that those detained were found to be working illegally, including individuals holding short-term visas or tourist visas, which prohibit employment. American officials described the raid as the 'largest enforcement operation at a single site in HSI history'.
Negotiations for the release of the detained Korean nationals have been initiated by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who plans to meet with American immigration officials. Kim Ki-soo, a senior official from LG Energy Solution, has also departed for the US.
Meanwhile, Korean consular officials have begun visiting the detained Koreans at the immigration detention center in Folkston on September 6, 2025 to examine their health and other conditions.
Kang Hoon-sik pledged to push for visa system improvements for Korean nationals traveling to America for work to prevent similar incidents from reoccurring.
8,500 Workers
According to HMGMA, the company began constructing its first electric vehicle and battery plant in America in May 2022. They selected a 2,900-hectare site in Bryan County for several reasons, including the quality of life in the area, strong regional connectivity, logistics connections, and existing workforce training programs. The first advanced smart factory in America commenced production in October 2024.
Upon full operation, HMGMA will produce 500,000 vehicles supported by 8,500 workers. They also plan to expand in the future, creating 6,900 job opportunities. 'To date, this economic development agreement is the largest in the history of the State of Georgia with a total value exceeding US$ 7.5 billion,' stated HMGMA.
Hyundai Statement
Hyundai Motor Company acknowledged the raid at its factory. 'We are closely monitoring the situation while making efforts to understand the specific circumstances. Based on our current understanding, none of those detained are direct employees of Hyundai Motor Company,' they stated in a release on September 5, 2025.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to fully comply with all laws and regulations in every market where they operate. This includes labor verification requirements and immigration laws. 'We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors.'
Hyundai declared that the safety and well-being of everyone working at their premises, both direct employees and those working for suppliers, is their top priority. 'We take our corporate responsibility seriously and incidents like this remind us of the importance of stringent oversight across our entire supply chain and contractor network,' they stated.
Hyundai stated that they are reviewing their working processes to ensure that all parties involved in their projects have upheld high legal compliance standards. This includes thorough inspections of labor practices by contractors and subcontractors. 'Chief of the North American Factory Chris Susock will now take over the governance of the entire giant site in Georgia, and we will conduct an investigation to ensure all their suppliers and subcontractors comply with all laws and regulations.'
Child Labor
This is not the first time Hyundai has faced allegations of illegal labor practices. On May 30, 2024, the Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor, one of its major suppliers, and a potential labor provider for potential violations of child labor laws. The case centered on the potential use of child labor illegally in the State of Alabama.
The defendants were Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC, SMART Alabama LLC, a parts supplier, and labor provider Best Practice Service LLC. The Department alleged that the three companies jointly employed a 13-year-old child who worked up to 60 hours per week on the assembly line at the SMART Alabama plant in Luverne, which produces sheet metal components for Hyundai vehicles. The Department's investigation also revealed that the child's two siblings, aged 12 and 15, also worked at the plant and were not attending school.
'The Department of Labor's lawsuit aims to hold all three companies in the supply chain accountable,' stated Prosecutor Seema Nanda in the Department of Labor's press release on January 20, 2025. 'Companies cannot evade responsibility by blaming suppliers or labor providers for child labor violations, as they themselves are also corporations.'
The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits interstate commerce of goods manufactured by violating child labor laws.
In fiscal year 2023, the Department investigated 955 cases of child labor violations, involving 5,792 children across America, including 502 employed in hazardous job standards. The Department addressed these violations and imposed civil penalties on companies totaling over US$ 8 million.
Hyundai spokesperson Michael Stewart told Automotive Manufacturing Solutions that their company had 'been working for months to thoroughly investigate this issue and take immediate and extensive corrective steps' to address the violations. Stewart added that Hyundai mandated their suppliers in Alabama to conduct independent labor audits and report their findings to the Department of Labor.
Editor's Choice: South Korea Angered as Hundreds of Hyundai Employees Arrested in the US
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
