316 Koreans Detained in U.S. Returning Home... One Remaining to Pursue Legal Action

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Withholds Visa Status of 316 Detained Workers

While most of the Korean workers who had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities boarded a chartered flight home, it has been reported that one Korean national who decided to remain locally will pursue legal action while still in detention.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 11, a total of 317 Korean nationals were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 4 (local time), of which 316 were released and are returning home on this day. The one Korean worker who decided to remain in the detention facility has reportedly applied for permanent residency and is currently residing in the U.S. because their family members are permanent residents. It appears that this individual will stay in the U.S. to pursue legal action. Regarding this, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "We will continue to provide necessary consular assistance."

Employees at the Hyundai Motor Company-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site, who were arrested for immigration enforcement, are boarding a bus as they leave the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, USA, on the 11th (local time) to head to Atlanta Airport. 2025.9.11 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap Reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not disclosed the visa status of the 316 Korean workers who are returning home. Some media outlets have reported that among the detained Koreans, there were individuals who possessed legitimate work visas, such as L1 or E2 visas. If it is confirmed that U.S. authorities indiscriminately arrested even those with valid work visas, controversy is expected to continue over whether the mass detention of these Korean workers was indeed lawful.

Meanwhile, a total of 330 people-including 316 Korean nationals on the chartered flight home and 14 foreign employees of Korean companies-departed the detention facility for the airport by bus at approximately 2:18 a.m. local time on September 11. The chartered flight is scheduled to arrive in Korea at around 4:00 p.m. on September 12, Korean time.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "We are preparing procedures for the smooth entry of our nationals through consultations with relevant ministries and agencies," adding, "We will do our utmost until the very end to ensure that all our citizens arrive safely in Korea."