Will Detained South Korean Workers in the U.S. Return Home Voluntarily?

Seoul, Sep 8 (NationPress) Workers from South Korea who were detained during an immigration operation in the United States are anticipated to return voluntarily rather than face deportation, a representative from the foreign ministry confirmed on Monday. The South Korean government is preparing to dispatch a chartered flight following discussions with Washington.

Over 300 South Korean nationals are currently held at a detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, as a result of a raid that took place on Thursday at a construction site for an electric vehicle battery plant, run by a collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution near Savannah, according to reports from Yonhap news agency.

The presidential office of South Korea announced on Sunday that a chartered aircraft will travel to the U.S. to repatriate the detained workers after finalizing discussions with U.S. officials to address the situation.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to travel to Washington with a stop in Salt Lake City later on Monday to meet with officials to ensure that all fundamental issues are resolved and that there are no unexpected complications in securing the release of the detained citizens, stated a ministry spokesperson to reporters.

"We are collaborating with the U.S. to expedite the resolution of this situation, ensuring that all detained South Koreans can return home safely and promptly," the official remarked. "Our objective is to facilitate their return as soon as local procedures are finished."

A chartered flight is anticipated to depart for the U.S. as soon as Wednesday (according to South Korean time).

Seoul is in discussions with Washington to arrange for the return of the detained South Koreans under voluntary departure terms, as deportation could complicate their future travel to the U.S. by imposing stricter visa scrutiny or potentially a travel ban.

So far, consular officials have met with approximately 250 South Koreans at the Folkston detention center to assess their health and treatment conditions.

"We have gathered information indicating that there has not been any unfair treatment or human rights violations concerning the detained individuals," the official reported.

Officials will soon initiate a process to determine how many detainees would like to board the chartered flight.

U.S. immigration authorities have reportedly provided the detainees with two options: accept deportation followed by a five-year reentry ban, or remain in custody and face trial.

Depending on the individuals' visa circumstances, future entry restrictions into the U.S. cannot be completely discounted.

While in Washington, Cho is expected to urge the U.S. to consider revising visa quotas and related policies concerning South Korea to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

South Korea has consistently advocated for an increase in visa quotas for its workers, yet progress has been limited due to rising anti-immigration sentiments in the U.S. and Congressional reluctance, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Countries such as Chile, Singapore, and Australia successfully negotiated visa quotas with the U.S. through free trade agreements in the early 2000s.

Once the Koreans are released, they are expected to travel to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida, which is roughly a 50-minute bus ride from the detention facility.

On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the raid and the arrests of South Korean nationals would not damage relations with South Korea, promising to review the situation.

In total, U.S. authorities detained 475 individuals, including around 300 South Koreans, during Thursday's operation as part of an investigation into what they described as unlawful workplace practices.