Countdown to Return of Detained Employees After Chuseok Holiday
Kim Dongmyung and Emergency Committee Seek Solutions for Visa Issues and Plant Resumption
Following the incident in which Korean employees were detained at a joint battery plant in Georgia, United States, the LG Energy Solution Emergency Response Committee, which was formed in response, is now deliberating on plans to redeploy personnel to the local site. Immediately after U.S. immigration authorities detained a large number of employees, LG Energy Solution established the committee, led by CEO Kim Dongmyung and composed of executives from the global external cooperation team, human resources team, and legal team.
Charter planes carrying Korean workers who were detained and then released by U.S. immigration authorities landed on the runway of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 12th. Photo by Airport Press Photographers Group
An LG Energy Solution official stated on the 24th, "Recently, the main topic of discussion within the committee has changed," adding, "We need to send employees on business trips to the United States, but due to visa issues, we have started discussing ways to secure personnel for the local plant." While the committee initially prioritized the safe return of the detained employees, it is now actively discussing the redeployment of staff to the U.S. plant and solutions to the visa issue.
A total of 330 employees, including 47 from LG Energy Solution and others from partner companies involved in plant facilities, returned to Korea from the United States following the detainment incident. They were granted approximately one month of paid leave immediately upon their return. After the Chuseok holiday, the possibility of business trips to the United States is expected to be reviewed.
The main concerns for CEO Kim and the LG Energy Solution Emergency Response Committee are securing skilled personnel to resume construction of the Georgia plant and resolving visa issuance issues for Korean employees. These are matters that are difficult to resolve at the company level. However, if the situation remains unresolved and continues to stagnate, the plant's operational schedule will be further delayed. The mass production timeline for the Georgia battery plant has already been postponed from the first half to the second half of next year or later.
Kang Insu, a professor of economics at Sookmyung Women's University, stated, "Since the completion of the Georgia plant in the United States is in its final stages, it is difficult to withdraw the investment, and the losses will increase the longer the delay continues." He continued, "What can be done now is to demonstrate to the U.S. government that as many local workers as possible are being hired, even in non-specialized roles." He added, "At the same time, the company should actively communicate with the government to secure U.S. visa quotas and clarify the scope of work permitted under business visas."
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