South Korea and the United States are in discussions to create a new visa category for Korean workers following a U.S. immigration raid that detained 475 employees at a Hyundai Motor electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington and secured assurances that South Koreans released from detention will not face disadvantages when re-entering the U.S.
The incident has become a diplomatic flashpoint, as around 300 South Korean workers were detained last week, raising concerns in Seoul and among Korean businesses. A chartered plane carrying the workers is scheduled to leave the U.S. on Thursday. Unlike typical deportation cases where immigrants are shackled, the group will not be handcuffed during their transfer from the detention center to the airport, Cho confirmed.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department have yet to issue statements on the matter. South Korea’s foreign ministry emphasized that Koreans were “hurt and shocked” by the arrests, stressing that the workers had come to the U.S. to share technology and expertise in support of the Trump administration’s push to revitalize American manufacturing.
Korean companies have long voiced frustration over strict U.S. visa policies, particularly the limited availability of visas for skilled foreign workers. These restrictions, they argue, make it challenging to oversee factory construction and train American employees in advanced technologies. The current diplomatic efforts aim to ease these hurdles and prevent similar incidents in the future, while also addressing the growing demand for skilled labor in the rapidly expanding EV and battery sectors.