South Korea condemns mass detention of its citizens in US

South Korea has lodged a protest after US immigration authorities detained hundreds of workers at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing complex in Georgia.

The raid took place Thursday at the construction site of a battery plant in Bryan County near Savannah, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution that employs about 1,200 people. US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said the operation was part of an inquiry into unlawful employment practices.

The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reported that 450 “unlawful aliens” were taken into custody.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said around 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, including employees of partner firms visiting on business trips. Many had reportedly entered the US on short-term business visas or under the Visa Waiver Program, but immigration authorities concluded their activities at the site did not match the purpose of their stay.

“The economic activities of our investment firms and the rights of our citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, according to local media. “We have also conveyed our concerns and regret through the US Embassy in Seoul, urging them to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are fully protected.”

The ministry added that President Lee Jae-myung had ordered “an all-out response” to resolve the issue, with Seoul considering “trips to the US by high-level officials.”

US President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central focus of his administration, vowing to carry out the largest deportation of criminal aliens in the country’s history.

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