"Georgia Incident, a Result of Clash Between U.S. Economic and Immigration Policies"

"Apparently No Coordination Between Attracting Investment and Allowing Worker Entry"

Local media have analyzed that the Donald Trump administration failed to properly coordinate its key priority projects, in light of the mass detention of Korean workers at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia.

Yonhap News Agency

On September 8 (local time), The Hill, a congressional news outlet, reported on the incident in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site near Savannah, Georgia, on September 4 and detained 475 workers, including more than 300 Koreans. The Hill pointed out, "Policy experts believe the Trump administration has become entangled in its own objectives."

Until now, the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy has mainly focused on controlling the southern border with Mexico. This was pursued separately from other priority projects, such as trade policy. The Hill analyzed that the recent raid revealed the reality that these two policies can conflict with each other.

Andrew Yeo, the Korea Chair at the Brookings Institution, stated, "While trying to revive American manufacturing and attract foreign companies willing to invest billions of dollars in the United States, there seems to have been little coordination in establishing procedures that would allow workers to enter for factory construction."

The Hill also mentioned that Korean companies are making large-scale investments in the United States, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix investing in the semiconductor sector, and SK On and Samsung SDI, among others, building battery plants with U.S. automakers. The outlet reported that the recent raid has come as a major shock to Korea's business community. It also quoted former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jongkun, who said, "We are speechless and angry. We were spending money in the United States, and suddenly we were slapped in the face."