The incident occurred just days after the US-Korea summit, raising concerns about diplomatic turmoil in alliances.
On September 4, the US Immigration and Customs Department (ICE) mobilized both helicopters and armored vehicles to attack the Hyundai - LG CNS electric vehicle battery factory near Savannah, Georgia. This is considered the largest illegal labor crackdown in the history of the US Department of Homeland Security, with a total of 475 workers arrested, including more than 300 with Korean nationality.
Images and videos released by the US side show hundreds of workers wearing reflective vests printed with the words "Hyundai" or "LG CNS" being tied up on wrists, belts and ankles, lining up to get on the bus. Some workers even tried to escape to the nearby pond but were arrested.
Immediately after the video went viral, South Korea's First Deputy Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo called US Deputy Foreign Minister for politics allison Hooker to protest.
On September 6, the South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasizing: "It is a pity that this incident occurred at a pivotal time, when the momentum for trust and cooperation between the two leaders, which was built after the first summit, needed to be maintained."
Mr. Park asked Washington to quickly handle it fairly and not let the legitimate rights of Korean citizens and Korean enterprises investing in the US be violated.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has called an urgent meeting and said he is ready to go to Washington to work directly if the tensions escalate. President Lee Jae Myung also ordered a comprehensive and timely response to the incident.
LG Energy Solution - a partner with Hyundai to build the factory - immediately asked employees to temporarily suspend business trips to the US, except for important customer meetings. Hyundai Motor also announced that it will launch an investigation into suppliers and subcontractors to ensure compliance with local laws.
Experts say the incident could greatly damage the image of Korean enterprises in the US, where Seoul is trying to expand investment in the fields of electric vehicles and clean energy.
While South Korea views this as a diplomatic shock, US President Donald Trump has expressed a tough stance. I think they are illegal immigrants and ICE is just doing its job, Trump told reporters on September 5.
Analysts say the statement signals that the Trump administration will not make any progress in its immigration policy, despite the risk of a rift in relations with South Korea - a key ally in Asia and a leading investor in the US green industry.
The incident comes just days after the first meeting between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae Myung in Washington, D.C., where the two sides pledged to strengthen economic and security cooperation.
