Korea looks into possible human rights violations in ICE raid

A Korean worker who had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia reunites with his family after arriving at Incheon International Airport, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The Korean government said Monday that it will open an inquiry into possible human rights violations against its citizens during an unprecedented immigration raid in the United States earlier this month, after some of the workers who returned home described being held in harsh conditions.

"We will continue to look closely into whether there were any human rights violations or inconveniences to our people. We are also coordinating closely with local companies to assess the situation," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a briefing.

Kang added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing the issue, with the possibility of conducting a full survey on the workers who were detained.

The announcement followed the return of 316 Korean workers on Friday, a week after their abrupt arrest at the construction site of a battery plant jointly operated by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in Georgia on Sept. 4 (local time).

Since their return, workers have shared firsthand accounts with local media and on social media, describing the raid as harrowing. Many said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents treated them like criminals and pressured them to sign documents without proper explanation.

The employees were shackled and handcuffed, and transported to a detention center in Folkston, Georgia. They were released after a week in the facility, following urgent consultations between Seoul and Washington officials.

Korean workers who were detained by U.S. immigration authorities reunite with their families at Incheon International Airport after returning home, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The foreign ministry said it will review the issue after the companies involved conduct a full-scale survey of their employees to collect detailed accounts of potential human rights violations.

"During consular meetings with detained individuals on-site, we were not able to gather full details due to time constraints," an official said during a closed-door briefing. "Our top priority in negotiations with U.S. officials was to secure their early release and bring our citizens back home as quickly as possible."

He added that no human rights violations were observed during the consular meetings at the detention center, aside from issues related to phone access and obtaining medication.

"It’s not appropriate to discuss specific future strategies at this stage," the official said when asked about the government's plans if rights abuses are found.

"The government may raise concerns through diplomatic channels," he said. "But at this stage, we believe it is important for the companies to assess the situation, and the government will step in if necessary."

However, lodging formal protests with the United States appears complicated, as ICE did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in discussions with Seoul officials. According to diplomatic sources, U.S. immigration authorities maintained that the arrests and raid were conducted lawfully.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before he departs on Air Force One at Morristown Airport in Morristown, N.J., Sunday (local time). AP-Yonhap

Just days after the Korean workers' return, U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not want to "frighten off" foreign investment.

"When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other 'things,' come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products, as they phase out of our Country, and back into their land,” Trump posted on social media Sunday (local time).

"I don't want to frighten off or disincentivize Investment into America by outside Countries or Companies," he added.

While Trump did not directly mention the Georgia raid, many Koreans detained there were engineers and equipment specialists sent to help install or repair machinery at the Hyundai-LG plant construction site.

Korea's presidential office declined to comment on Trump's remarks.

The latest episode involving Korean workers has rattled Seoul's business community, leaving conglomerates wary of new investments after pouring billions into U.S. plants.

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the massive immigration raid has unsettled Korean companies and could deter future investments in the U.S.

On Sunday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expressed "deep regret" over the mass detention during a meeting with First Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo in Seoul. It was the first time a senior U.S. official had publicly voiced regret over the unprecedented sweep of Korean workers.