The South Korean Foreign Ministry said it may postpone the departure of South Korean workers who were arrested in the United States during a large-scale immigration operation at a Hyundai facility in the state of Georgia.
According to authorities, their return home “has been made difficult due to circumstances on the US side” and negotiations are underway to make sure they may depart the country as quickly as possible.
At around 14:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Wednesday, the workers were initially scheduled to depart the United States aboard a rented aircraft. Cho Hyun, the foreign minister of South Korea, will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday morning, the White House had earlier said. Cho promised to collaborate with the Trump administration to stop the situation from happening again before departing for the US on Monday.
More than 300 South Koreans were among the 475 individuals detained by US authorities last week on suspicion of working illegally at the battery complex, which is one of the state’s biggest foreign investment projects.
A manufacturing employee told the BBC about the uncertainty and fear that accompanied the raid. According to the worker, the great majority of those arrested were mechanics working for a contractor who were setting up manufacturing lines at the location.
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