US immigration raid: Seoul dispatches plane; hundreds of Koreans to return

South Korea on Wednesday dispatched a chartered plane to United States to bring home hundreds of its citizens detained in a major immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia.

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8I, which can carry more than 350 passengers, departed Seoul’s Incheon International Airport at 10.20 am on Wednesday, the airline confirmed.

Local television footage showed the plane taking off. According to Yonhap news agency, citing diplomatic sources, the aircraft is expected to leave the US with the detained workers at 3:30 am Thursday (1830 GMT Wednesday).

The raid was described by investigators as the largest single-site operation under US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The operation targeted a $4.3 billion joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. The project involves building a battery cell factory in Georgia. Officials said South Koreans made up the bulk of those arrested, many of whom reportedly held visas that did not permit hands-on construction work.

South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun has been in Washington since Monday to negotiate their release. Calling the detentions a “grave situation,” Cho promised to secure their safe and swift return. “I can tell you that negotiations are going well,” he told South Korean MPs before departing, adding that a “tentative agreement” had been reached to prevent penalties such as a five-year re-entry ban.

South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a global leader in electronics and automobiles. It has invested heavily in United States, in line with Washington’s calls during tariff negotiations for more foreign investment.

Mass detention could strain ties at a sensitive time, but both governments appear keen to resolve the issue quickly. Seoul is focused on ensuring that its citizens “return in good health” as promised by Cho.