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3h ago

Trump Backs Restraint-Free Transfer as Korea Seeks Quick Return of Detained Battery-Site Workers

Seoul presses for reentry assurances, pursuing a tailored visa channel to prevent a repeat.

Image
Activists holding signs that reads "No one is illegal!", chant slogans during a press conference to protest against a huge immigration raid last week at the site of a U.S. car battery project involving Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in the U.S. state of Georgia, in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Minibuses are parked near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, on Sept. 10 (local time), where Korean nationals are being held following last week's immigration raid. The detainees are set to return home aboard a chartered flight after diplomatic negotiations between Seoul and Washington. (Yonhap)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard for a cristening ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Overview

  • After talks in Washington, South Korea said President Trump directed U.S. officials to move the detainees to Atlanta’s airport without handcuffs or other restraints.
  • The planned same-day repatriation was postponed due to unspecified U.S. circumstances, with a chartered Korean Air flight prepared to depart Thursday.
  • Seoul reported that 330 people, including 14 non-Koreans, are slated to return to Korea, while one person will remain in the United States.
  • South Korea is seeking guarantees that the workers will not face disadvantages on future U.S. entry, and working-level consultations are underway.
  • Foreign Minister Cho proposed a bilateral working group and exploring a new visa category, as U.S. public readouts stressed investment ties while DHS signaled deportations.