Released Korean Workers Safely Return from U.S.; Kang Hoonshik Says "Sorry We Could Not Bring Them Home Sooner" (Comprehensive)

Office of the President: "Improving Korea-U.S. Visa and Residency Status System"
LG Energy Solution: "We Will Spare No Effort to Support Released Workers"

Three hundred sixteen Korean nationals who had been detained as part of a U.S. immigration crackdown on undocumented workers returned to their families after eight days. The Presidential Office announced its intention to discuss follow-up measures, including Korea-U.S. visa issues, while LG Energy Solution promised full support for the workers who have returned to Korea.

On the 12th, Kang Hoonshik, Chief of Staff at the Presidential Office, met with reporters at Incheon International Airport and said, "We are sorry that we could not bring the detained workers home sooner," adding, "We will actively pursue a new visa and residency qualification system."

When asked whether the government had received a 'written assurance' to prevent disadvantages for the detained workers when re-entering the United States, he replied, "That was what President Trump mentioned." Regarding the cause of the incident, he explained, "There was a difference in interpretation between the two countries regarding the B-1 visa," and stated, "Further discussions will be held in the Korea-U.S. working group."

Kim Dongmyung, CEO of LG Energy Solution, who returned on the chartered flight with the workers, said, "We will spare no effort to support the safe and stable return of those who have come home," promising the company's support. He also expressed his gratitude to the government, saying, "We are extremely grateful for the unusually swift release and for the careful consideration to ensure there are no disadvantages upon re-entry."

Regarding potential setbacks in the construction of the battery factory, he said, "It is not a serious issue and preparations are going well," adding, "We are considering matters such as the training of American workers, which was discussed in the United States."

Korean workers who were arrested and detained by U.S. immigration authorities are returning home through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the 12th. The released Koreans set foot on their homeland after eight days since being arrested and detained at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution battery joint factory in Ellabel, Georgia, U.S., on the 4th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

At around 3:20 p.m. on the same day, Korean Air charter flight KE9036, carrying 316 Korean nationals who had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities, landed at Incheon International Airport. The chartered flight departed from Atlanta Airport in the United States at 11:30 a.m. local time on the 11th and arrived safely at Incheon Airport after a roughly 15-hour flight.

The faces of the workers, quickly making their way through the arrival hall, clearly showed signs of exhaustion from the hardships of the past seven days. At the same time, there was a sense of relief at having arrived safely in Korea. After arriving at the Incheon Airport arrival hall, the workers boarded buses to the long-term parking lot, where they reunited with their families and then returned home individually.

Previously, on the 4th, U.S. immigration authorities detained more than 300 workers at the Hyundai Motor Company-LG Energy Solution joint battery factory construction site on charges including illegal stay. In this process, more than 300 Koreans, including LG Energy Solution employees and partner company officials, were held in detention centers across the United States.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched a rapid response team to the United States to secure the release of the Korean workers and negotiated with U.S. authorities to ensure their release and safe return home. The detained Koreans were released at around 2 a.m. local time on the 11th, transferred to Atlanta International Airport, and safely returned to Korea.