Trump Wanted Hyundai’s Korean Workers To Stay And Train Americans, Seoul Said Absolutely Not

US President Donald Trump encouraged more than 300 South Korean workers recently detained at a Hyundai factory in Georgia to stay in the country and train American employees. However, his wish will not be fulfilled as they will be repatriated out of the US and returned home on a chartered Korean Air flight.

A week ago, US immigration authorities stormed Hyundai and LG’s joint venture plant in Georgia, detaining approximately 475 individuals that were referred to as ‘unlawful aliens.’ Shortly after the raid, it was revealed that more than 300 of the workers detained were skilled Korean nationals who had been flown in to help setup the site, a number of whom did not have the correct working visas.

Read: Immigration Raid Threatens Billions In U.S. EV Projects

In total, 316 South Koreans have been identified and were released from a detention facility on Thursday. According to a South Korean foreign military official, President Trump halted their release to “understand Seoul’s position on whether they should stay to educate and train U.S. workers or return home, given that the detained South Korean nationals are all skilled workers,” The Washington Post reports.

Unresolved Diplomacy

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week in Washington. During the talks, Cho emphasized that Seoul wanted the workers to return home, leaving open the possibility that they might be sent back to the US at a later time. South Korea’s foreign ministry later confirmed that 330 workers were released and transported by bus to Atlanta for a chartered flight home, with assurances they would not be shackled during the journey.

Visa Problems Come to Light

It’s understood that many of the workers had been sent to the US under temporary visa waivers or on short-term business visas given it’s difficult to obtain long-term work visas. The incident has infuriated South Korean President Lee Jae Myung who suggested at a news conference that the raid may discourage Korean firms from investing in the US.

“I think this will have a significant impact on direct investments in the United States moving forward,” he said. “Our companies that have expanded overseas are probably very confused. We are not there for long-term research or employment. You need a facility manager to install the machinery and equipment when you establish a factory, right?”

While many of the workers entered the US on B1 business visas, or through the ESTA visa waiver program, they should have acquired visas like the H-1B, L1 or E2 to obtain employees at US workplaces. However, it often takes months for these visas to be obtained, which is impractical for companies needing to quickly dispatch foreign workers to a US site.

Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6

— ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) September 4, 2025

Image Credit: ATF @ X