South Korea has strongly condemned the large-scale immigration raid conducted at a Hyundai battery plant in the US, an operation in which over 450 individuals were detained. The enforcement action was conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies as part of an investigation into suspected illegal employment practices. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, 450 persons were detained at the site, including approximately 300 South Korean nationals, a number that the South Korean government has confirmed. This group included employees of company partners who had entered the US on short-term business visas or under the Visa Waiver Program, but officials said their actions at the site did not align with the purpose of their stays.
The South Korean government officially lodged a formal protest, expressing its strong concerns regarding the impact of the US immigration operation on its citizens and on its economic investments in the country. The South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun highlighted the importance of ensuring the rights of South Korean citizens are not unduly impacted by lawful law enforcement actions. In a statement released on Friday, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the economic activities of investment firms and the rights of its citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon in the course of US law enforcement operations. The ministry stated that President Lee Jae-myung had ordered an ‘all-out response’ to address the situation, with the possibility of high-level officials making trips to the US to resolve the issue.