Lead
Seoul says it has secured an agreement with U.S. authorities to arrange the release and repatriation of hundreds of South Korean workers detained after a large U.S. immigration raid at a factory complex in Ellabell, Georgia. South Korea’s presidential chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, told officials on Sept. 7, 2025 that negotiators were finalizing terms for a charter flight to bring workers home as soon as this week. The arrests — 475 people in total, more than 300 of them South Korean citizens — took place during a multi-site federal operation tied to the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Take Back America. The incident has sparked sharp diplomatic criticism in Seoul and raised questions about how immigration enforcement will intersect with U.S.-South Korea economic cooperation.
Key Takeaways
- Federal agents arrested 475 people at the Ellabell, Georgia factory site; over 300 detained were South Korean citizens employed by LG Energy Solution and subcontractors.
- Seoul says a deal is being finalized to fly detained South Koreans home on a charter as early as the week of Sept. 7, 2025.
- The raid targeted a joint project involving Hyundai and LG Energy Solution that is part of major South Korean investment commitments to the U.S., including $350 billion in pledged investments and $100 billion in LNG purchases announced earlier in 2025.
- U.S. officials framed the operation as part of a nationwide enforcement effort; ICE says many arrested were using short‑term/recreational visas that prohibit employment.
- South Korea was the largest recipient of that country’s overseas investment last year with $26 billion and is the U.S.’s eighth-largest trading partner, exchanging $242.5 billion in goods and services in 2024.
- Industry experts warn the raid could produce months of delays and logistical costs for battery and shipbuilding projects that rely on dispatched Korean specialists.
- Seoul plans to press for improved U.S. work-permit pathways after the incident; some countries have special visa arrangements that South Korea wants to emulate.
Background
For several years South Korean manufacturers have been expanding production in the United States, driven by incentives in a bilateral trade and investment context agreed between Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump. Major Korean conglomerates have committed large sums to build battery plants and related facilities across multiple U.S. states. The project at the center of the Sept. raid was an LG Energy Solution and Hyundai-linked battery/factory complex in Ellabell, Georgia — one of several high-priority investments intended to secure supply chains and access the U.S. market.
At the same time, many Korean companies rely on short-term travel authorizations and visa waivers such as ESTA to send experienced technicians and managers to oversee construction and commissioning. Technically these permits bar employment in the U.S., but industry sources say such deployments were long tolerated by authorities as a pragmatic solution to skill shortages in specialized manufacturing. Long lead times and constrained quotas for work visas like the H-1B have made formal alternatives difficult for firms to use at scale.
Main Event
On Thursday of the week before Sept. 7, 2025, federal agents executed the single-site component of a broader law-enforcement push, detaining 475 people at the Ellabell construction site. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia described the action as the largest single‑site raid in Department of Homeland Security history and said it was conducted under Operation Take Back America. ICE stated many of those taken into custody were working in violation of their visa terms, including on short-term or recreational authorizations that do not permit labor.
South Korean officials reacted swiftly. Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, told lawmakers and cabinet members on Sept. 7 that Seoul had engaged U.S. counterparts to secure the immediate release and return of its nationals. Negotiators reportedly discussed timelines for a charter flight to repatriate those eligible for release and arrangements to verify legal status and employer responsibilities. Officials emphasized they would monitor the situation until every citizen was safely home.
The action drew sharp public comment in Seoul. Ruling-party lawmakers and business leaders framed the raid as disruptive to major investment projects and incompatible with the scale of South Korea’s economic ties to the U.S. The incident occurred soon after announcements of preferential tariff terms and multi-hundred-billion-dollar investment pledges that had been presented as catalysts for deeper industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Analysis & Implications
Diplomatically, the raid places strain on a relationship already restructured around large bilateral investment commitments and trade guarantees. Seoul’s investment pledges — including a headline $350 billion commitment and arrangements for $100 billion in LNG purchases — assumed a predictable environment for deploying personnel and overseeing projects. The arrests expose a governance gap: enforcement of immigration law in the U.S. can clash with industrial practices in which firms temporarily move foreign specialists to install complex equipment.
Economically, the immediate effect will likely be construction slowdowns and rising costs. Battery manufacturing and related electrification projects require specialized technicians during critical installation windows; losing hundreds of experienced workers at once risks weeks or months of delay, rescheduling of contractors, and increased local hiring costs. Project timelines for LG Energy Solution and other Korean-led plants may be pushed back, affecting downstream supply agreements and local employment projections.
Politically, Seoul is under pressure domestically to protect its citizens while preserving investment ties. South Korean leaders must balance public demands for a robust response with the pragmatic need to maintain cooperation on trade and industrial policy with Washington. Policy follow-through could include pursuing visa pathways used by countries such as Chile, Australia, and Singapore — models that create special channels for specialized workers — or negotiating bilateral protocols to prevent similar mass detentions during large-scale industrial deployments.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Figure / Year |
|---|---|
| People arrested at Ellabell site | 475 |
| South Korean citizens detained | Over 300 |
| South Korea investment to U.S. (previous year) | $26 billion |
| U.S.–South Korea goods & services trade (2024) | $242.5 billion |
| Pledged South Korean investment under 2025 deal | $350 billion |
The table above situates the raid in the context of bilateral economic flows and the scale of the enforcement action. Even with a rapid repatriation agreement, the numbers illustrate why both governments view the episode as materially consequential: hundreds of detained workers versus multi‑billion‑dollar investments and trade linkages.
Reactions & Quotes
“The South Korean government will remain on guard and stay on the situation with responsibility until our citizens have safely returned home.”
Kang Hoon-sik, South Korean presidential chief of staff (official statement)
Context: Kang framed Seoul’s response as active diplomacy to secure the welfare of its nationals while negotiations with U.S. officials continued.
“If the U.S. genuinely wants to attract investment from South Korean companies, things like this cannot happen.”
Oh Gi-hyoung, ruling party lawmaker (legislative comment)
Context: Lawmakers in Seoul voiced concern that strict enforcement at a major investment site undercuts investor confidence and bilateral goodwill.
“Many of those arrested were found to be working illegally, many on short-term or recreational visas which do not allow visitors to work.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia (law‑enforcement statement)
Context: U.S. prosecutors emphasized the legal basis for the operation as part of a nationwide enforcement campaign (Operation Take Back America).
Unconfirmed
- Whether every detained South Korean will be eligible for immediate repatriation remains unclear pending U.S. legal screenings and individual case reviews.
- No official timeline has been publicly disclosed for the proposed charter flight beyond statements that it could occur “as early as this week.”
- It is unconfirmed if the raid will trigger formal changes to U.S. visa policy toward dispatched technical specialists or only lead to case‑by‑case administrative adjustments.
Bottom Line
The episode highlights a misalignment between immigration enforcement and industrial deployment practices that powered rapid foreign investment in recent years. Even with a deal to repatriate detained South Koreans, the immediate consequences include potential delays to major projects, diplomatic strain, and renewed pressure to negotiate practical visa solutions for specialized labor mobility.
Looking ahead, expect Seoul to press for concrete visa pathways or bilateral protocols to prevent similar mass detentions and to reassure investors. For U.S. localities hosting foreign-led projects, the incident underlines the need to reconcile lawful employment practices with the technical realities of building advanced manufacturing capacity.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times — news report (U.S./international press)
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia — official press releases (federal law-enforcement)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — agency statements (federal agency)
- Pew Research Center — demographic data (independent research)
- Blue House (Office of the President of South Korea) — official briefings (South Korean government)