Seoul's slow response to detained Koreans in Georgia exposes diplomatic cracks

Seoul's lethargic response to the recent immigration crackdown in Georgia that resulted in the detainment of hundreds of Korean nationals has exposed the government to criticism over diplomatic voids.

This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Dvids shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4. [AP/YONHAP]

The Korean government's naivety and belated response to the Donald Trump administration's strict crackdown on visa issues and individuals entering the United States illegally came under fire in light of the mass detention of Korean nationals in Georgia — exacerbated by the fact that key diplomatic posts in the United States remain vacant, including the ambassador to Washington and the consul general in Atlanta.

On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained hundreds of Koreans as part of a crackdown led by the White House, which has pledged to deport one million undocumented immigrants.

Just 10 days earlier, President Lee Jae Myung met with Trump in the Oval Office in a seemingly amicable encounter. But Trump later drew a clear line, saying that the workers in Georgia were "illegal aliens" and that ICE was doing its job, highlighting his uncompromising stance on immigration. Caught off guard

Critics argue that Korea should have been better prepared for potential fallout, especially given Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda and his track record of taking a hard line on immigration — even against allies.

While the original warrant for the raid reportedly listed four individuals believed to be of Latin American origin, Korean nationals were subject to a mass arrest. Yet Seoul issued no immediate protest nor took any visible action to challenge the legality of the raid.

U.S. immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean nationals during a crackdown at the construction site of the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution on Sept. 4. The picture has been taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's website. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

U.S. immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean nationals during a crackdown at the Korean construction site of the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution on Sept. 4. The picture has been taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's website. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A legal expert noted that detaining 300 people under a single search warrant may violate the principle of proportionality, depending on the circumstances.

“If it turns out that some of the individuals were engaged in activities consistent with their visa status, the enforcement could be deemed unlawful,” the expert said.

The Korean Consulate General in Atlanta plans to assemble a legal team to visit the detention facility soon. The visa gap

Many of the detained Koreans were reportedly in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, ESTA, or on B1 business visas intended for short-term visits such as attending conferences. Legally working at a local factory requires H-1B visas for skilled professionals or L1 and E2 visas for intracompany transferees, but these are notoriously difficult to obtain.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said authorities are still reviewing the exact visa categories of those detained, adding that "the United States is examining whether activities by those holding B1 visas were consistent with the visa's intended purpose."

The Korean Embassy in the United States in Washington [JOONGANG ILBO]

The demand for employment-based visas far exceeds supply. H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 per year, including 20,000 reserved for holders of advanced degrees from U.S. institutions, and are issued by random lottery. Although legislation to allocate separate quotas for skilled Korean workers has been introduced multiple times since 2013, none has passed Congress. In practice, many Korean companies have relied on ESTA or B1 visas to meet urgent project timelines.

The incident was likely the result of companies struggling to align employee visa types with tight construction schedules amid strict ICE enforcement, according to Suh Sang-pyo, former consul general in Atlanta.

“Most of these Korean workers entered the country legally, but some may have worked outside the scope of their visas,” Suh said, noting that improper documentation is more common among subcontractors. “If this turns out to be an isolated incident, the damage may be limited. But if raids continue, it could have a direct impact on investment returns. Construction and equipment installation may be delayed if key personnel are blocked from entering.” Diplomatic void under scrutiny

The absence of an ambassador to the United States and a consul general in Atlanta has left Korea’s diplomatic response weakened.

Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, is currently leading the response on the ground. Rep. Kim Gunn of the People Power Party, a former diplomat and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said, “In cases like this, the bureaucracy doesn’t move unless high-level officials issue strong directives — but right now, there’s no senior-level channel to the U.S. administration.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun delivers opening remarks at the ministry in central Seoul on Saturday during a joint task force meeting on responses after hundreds of Koreans were detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solutions battery plant construction site in Georgia. [NEWS1]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduling a visit to the United States for the coming week, but has not been able to talk to his counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The government has not even addressed the claims of Tori Branum, a Georgia-based right-wing politician who recently took credit on social media for reporting the Korean companies to ICE.

"Yes, I did report the Hyundai plant to ICE and yes, I did talk to an agent," Branum wrote on her Facebook account on Saturday, claiming that the Korean companies received tax credits from the U.S. government but failed to hire U.S. workers.

Observers argue that both the foreign policy establishment and lawmakers must present a united front. “Domestic political support is crucial for strong diplomacy,” said Lee Byong-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “Korea should consider summoning U.S. Ambassador Joseph Yun to lodge a formal protest.”

"The goal is to make it clear, both domestically and internationally, that this is a serious matter,” said Democratic Party Rep. Kim Young-bae, senior member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, which will hold a hearing on Monday to address the issue. “Because this is an unresolved diplomatic issue, we must avoid jumping to conclusions. We are also considering a resolution or parliamentary diplomatic efforts.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY PARK HYUN-JU [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]