Overview
- Savannah Economic Development Authority chief Trip Tollison said the Ellabell project is now roughly three months behind schedule, stressing the detained specialists were installing proprietary equipment and training U.S. workers.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is preparing to meet Hyundai executives in South Korea during a fall trip that was arranged before the raid, with SEDA’s Tollison expected to join.
- Hyundai reaffirmed its phase-two expansion in Georgia and 3,000 additional jobs, and the company’s CEO Jose Munoz urged a dedicated visa for short-term technical experts during an Investor Day presentation.
- Most detained South Koreans were repatriated on a Sept. 12 charter flight after the operation that U.S. authorities said involved improper or expired visas, while both governments formed task forces and a U.S. deputy secretary of state conveyed regret.
- Local officials reported 3,129 Americans are already in permanent roles at the site, and Hyundai targets 500,000 units of annual output by 2028 as state and federal partners pursue procedural and visa changes.