South Korean Government launches emergency response after over 300 nationals detained at Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia

The South Korean government has launched an urgent response after U.S. immigration authorities detained more than 300 Korean nationals at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor Group–LG Energy Solution plant in Georgia. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized the possibility of personally visiting the United States to address the matter.

On the afternoon of September 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a joint meeting at the Seoul Government Complex, chaired by Minister Cho, under the Overseas Korean Citizen Protection Task Force. The meeting was attended by First Vice Minister Park Yoon Joo, Second Vice Minister Kim Jin Ah, and other senior officials responsible for consular affairs and protection of overseas nationals.

Officials from the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Consulate General in Atlanta also joined the meeting via video conference.

Minister Cho explained that the task force was established with him as the head to ensure swift coordination between the ministry and overseas missions. The meeting aimed to review ongoing developments and strengthen protective measures for Korean nationals.

According to MOFA, Minister Cho instructed officials to provide active consular assistance through the on-site task force and spare no effort in protecting Korean nationals. He also ordered consideration of additional personnel deployment from the task force’s rapid response team.

During his opening remarks, Minister Cho stated, “We plan to discuss dispatching senior officials to the site quickly and, if necessary, having me go to Washington directly to coordinate with the U.S. administration.”

The government is also coordinating closely with relevant companies and economic departments to ensure that South Korean businesses’ activities in the U.S. are not unfairly disrupted.

On September 4 (local time), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a raid at the HL-GA Battery Company, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution located in Savannah, Georgia. The U.S. authorities detained a total of 475 people, more than 300 of whom are South Korean nationals. As of September 6, LG Energy Solution reported that roughly 250 detained personnel, including subcontractors, are Korean.

The South Korean government has expressed regret over the incident. On September 5, Vice Minister Kim Jin Ah conveyed concerns and regrets to Joseph Yousang Yun, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, urging that the rights of Korean nationals be carefully respected.

The U.S. authorities provided neither prior nor subsequent notice regarding the detentions. A MOFA official told reporters on September 5, “We were not informed beforehand or afterward about the procedures used for the arrests and detentions; the matter came to our attention through local diplomatic missions.”