Beware of rising anti-American sentiment in Korea
The recent Georgia raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deeply wounded and angered Koreans, the extent to which may be difficult to gauge solely by looking at the Korean media, especially for the diplomatic and foreign community in Korea. The Korean media’s portrayal still seems very cautious.
Over 300 Korean engineers and installers were dispatched to construct the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution's joint battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. It was said to be a symbol of Korea-U.S. cooperation, especially toward improving the dire state of U.S. manufacturing.
The hardworking Koreans were detained on the morning of Sept. 4 (local time), their wrists, waists and ankles shackled. They were held in substandard conditions for a week. It was an appalling scene of brutality and humiliation and an outright violation of human rights. It was shocking to me. Many Koreans keeping silent may have felt the same.
The Georgia raid angered the majority of Koreans, except a minority of ultra-rightists. Overall, the shock and anger swept the nation, be they moderate conservatives or leftists, intensifying when the workers finally returned home on Friday.
Not only the Korean government but also the U.S. administration should understand the magnitude of underlying anger this incident instantly ignited. Koreans are well known for their readiness to voice their views and take action. The world has seen it time and again, and as recently as in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's unlawful martial law on Dec. 3, which ultimately led to his impeachment.
If the deeply hurt public sentiment is not well taken care of, it will explode in the form of anti-American sentiment this time round. It will be the newest addition to the list of flashpoints, like beef and rice, which can quickly spread.
The U.S. administration also has its own domestic audience and constituents who are hungry for political rhetoric and actions that align with their interests and values. Nevertheless, universal standards of common sense and empathy are expected from any individual, community, or nation. Given the circumstances, a sincere apology would ordinarily be expected. Yet, no such action has been taken. A troubling precedent is being set — and it demands immediate correction.
Yet the U.S. wants the Korean workers to return to complete the construction and train U.S. workers. This might be possible if the Korean workers were robots and machines. But we are dealing with traumatized humans and their emotions. This will likely lead to reluctance and avoidance, which may affect the investment decisions of businesses, both in Korea and in other countries, as well as the health of Korea-U.S. bilateral relations. The United States needs Korea more than ever in its ambition to revive U.S. manufacturing. For instance, it is no secret that Korea is a better partner in shipbuilding and semiconductors than others.
Moving forward, an enhanced work visa quota for skilled Korean workers is going to be a litmus test for the seriousness of the U.S. plan to revive its manufacturing and create jobs. A work visa for Korean professionals has been on the agenda since the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, still pending with no progress. This might be an opportune moment for the U.S. to take a proactive approach on the visa quota for skilled workers sent to the U.S. for purposes like in the case of the construction of the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution's joint battery plant in Georgia.
Without a clear set of work visas to be granted, skilled workers and businesses will likely think twice. Looking at news reports so far, the U.S. stance on the work visa quota remains unclear. A more reasonable and persuasive plan will be appreciated.
Only a sustained series of serious trust-building efforts can begin to repair the shattered confidence in the U.S. — specifically in its commitment to human rights, reciprocity, respect for sovereign allies and democracy.
With Korea having become a more advanced, diversified and complex society, it is more important than ever to make efforts to understand public sentiment. The diplomatic and foreign business community in Korea should reach out wider and further to learn the real sentiment of the Korean people, not just a tiny fraction of those Korean English speakers, for they may not be representative of the broader public. Koreans’ English ability should not be regarded as a measure of one’s intelligence or their capacity to understand and interpret issues of importance in Korea.
Reducing the gap between Korean public sentiment and how it is interpreted by foreign embassies is critical to the development of their countries' policies toward Korea.
Song Kyung-jin is senior fellow at Asiatic Research Institute at Korea University.