U.S. diplomat expresses regret over immigration raid on Korean workers, South Korea says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News/Reuters

Sept. 14, 2025, 7:30 AM EDT / Source: Reuters


A top U.S. diplomat expressed regret on Sunday over an immigration raid in the state of Georgia that detained hundreds of South Korean workers and proposed making the event a turning point to strengthen bilateral relations, South Korea said. In a meeting in Seoul, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo urged Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to push forward bilateral discussions on follow-up measures, including a new visa category, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Some 300 South Korean workers returned home to cheers and emotional reunions on Friday, a week after being detained in the massive immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant — an event that sent shockwaves across South Korea, a key U.S. ally.

“Deputy Secretary Landau expressed deep regret over the incident and proposed using it as a turning point to improve the system and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. relationship,” the ministry said, adding that Landau said President Donald Trump had “high interest” in the case.

After the raid, Trump had suggested that the Koreans stay in the U.S. if they wished, and the negotiations with U.S. officials were straightforward, South Korea‘s top security adviser said on Friday.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/us-regret-immigration-raid-korean-workers-hyundai-plant-georgia-trump-rcna231102

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REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143524499
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143524746
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143525030
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143525392
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143525940
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143526090
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143526739
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143527276
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143528088
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143528217

[Tetrachloride]

1. Nearly every post in the references is about either 1) the raid itself and 2) investment from Korea

I would like to know the labor conditions of those workers.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. The "references" are to catch people up on what went on that lead up to the circumstances in today's post

given that the VAST majority of DU does NOT read LBN and instead posts in General Discussion or the Lounge.

[angrychair]

4. Not sure the point

But they were engineers and construction experts and all in the country legally.
There is zero evidence they were being mistreated.

[dalton99a]

3. The Koreans should keep their people home and idle the new plants. Fuck that rabid dictator

[angrychair]

5. Well they had

Both Hyundai and LG have put all projects in the US on hold.
Hopefully they hold their ground. Not to mention, their chance of finding South Koreans willing to go back to the US is incredibly unlikely.

[Irish_Dem]

6. "Negotiations were straightforward."

This is my point.

The corruption and bribes are not perfectly straightforward and standard.
No fuss no muss.
Pay Trump the money and favors.
He leaves the company alone for a period of time.
Until the next extortion hit.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I think in this case

it was not so simple.

Remember, he isn't called "TACO" for nothing! As you know, "face-saving" is a necessity and an art in Asian countries.

They also have this (haven't heard whether it got cancelled or not) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143530207

AND from the other OP's CBS article -

(snip)

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters Tuesday at a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of a Rivian Automotive electric vehicle plant that he remains confident Georgia's business advantages would "win out" in terms of foreign investment. The raid may even wind up smoothing the way for South Korean employees to more easily obtain legal permission to help build and operate facilities in the United States, he said.

"I've had good conversations with companies that are here doing business in Georgia, companies that are looking to do business here," Kemp said. "And I've had good conversations with people in the White House about the visa issue."

(snip)

No money exchanged but tangible assets - expanded Visas in exchange for not picking up and leaving.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Well I disagree with Kemp's happy horse shit explanation.

It is all blarney. To cover the extortion, corruption and bribes.

Make no mistake Bum, Trump is a ruthless psychopath and does nothing unless it benefits himself personally.
If a pathway was made to smooth things over for the Koreans, they paid for that path bigly.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. If you think Kemp is a pushover

think agan.

He's a southerner and they have a way to cut to the core in the most "pleasant" but lethal way.

The GOP wants to unseat Ossoff and keep GA red and pissing off the "businesses" there (especially when you have Raffesperger jumping into the race for governor), won't get them there.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Do I think a GOP governor is going to go up against the brutal revengeful Trump?

100% hard no.

Kemp may indeed have smoothed things over.
But he did not take on Trump.
And Trump got his bribe or some favors.

Kemp was the pimp in this situation and painted a picture of himself as the good guy.
SMH.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. $$$$

The business orgs in GA, NOT the Koreans, would have "padded the palm". That is why the sly talk from Kemp about "Visas".