The South Korean government is reportedly working to facilitate the return of approximately 300 detained South Korean workers through voluntary departure rather than forced deportation from an immigration detention facility in Georgia.
Diplomatic sources revealed on Monday that Korean workers at the Folkston detention facility were presented with a choice by immigration authorities. These included accepting immediate deportation with a five-year entry ban to the U.S. or remaining in detention for several months to await trial.
A formal deportation could result in several years of U.S. entry ban or visa interview disadvantages. The government has reportedly been striving to secure a resolution that avoids deportation records to minimize harm to its citizens and businesses. As a result, negotiations are underway with the U.S. government to arrange voluntary departures for the Korean employees, and attention is focused on the outcomes.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has traveled to the U.S. to meet with U.S. administration officials. His agenda includes finalizing release negotiations and discussing preventive measures, such as visa system improvements, to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Consul General Cho Ki-jung, who is overseeing consular support in Washington, estimated that the detained Koreans could board a charter flight back to Korea as early as Wednesday.
Upon release from the Folkston detention center, the Korean employees will be transported about 50 minutes to the nearby Jacksonville Airport to board their flight back to Korea.
Cho stated, “We are making every effort to quickly send home those who wish to return to Korea.” He added, “While we must verify individual intentions, we will expedite the process to ensure those who want to leave can do so promptly.”
The South Korean nationals slated for repatriation include 46 LG Energy Solution employees and over 250 from suppliers for the HL-GA battery joint venture. Reportedly, no Hyundai Motor employees were among those detained.
Officials from the South Korean consulate in Atlanta and other U.S. diplomatic missions continued to meet with the detained employees at the Folkston facility, following up on discussions from the previous day. Female employees are reportedly being held in a separate women-only detention facility.
On September 4, U.S. immigration authorities conducted a raid at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution joint battery factory construction site in Ellaville, Georgia. They detained 475 individuals, including over 300 Koreans. This battery factory represents a joint investment of 6 trillion KRW (approximately 4.31 billion USD) by LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor.
