Amid the detention of more than 300 South Koreans in an immigration raid by US authorities at a joint battery plant between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, US, Kim Ki-soo (C), chief human resources officer of LG Energy Solution Ltd, speaks to reporters before leaving for the US from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, in South Korea, on September 7, 2025. Photo: VCG

Following the arrests of hundreds of South Korean workers in a US immigration raid at a Hyundai manufacturing site in Georgia, South Korea's presidential chief of staff said on Sunday that negotiations for the release of those detained in the US have been completed, according to multiple media reports.

With South Korean media describing the raid as a "stab in the back " and saying the country "got slapped in the face," Chinese observers said the incident could weaken South Korean firms' confidence in investing in the US as well as strain political trust.

US immigration officials raided the Hyundai Motor car battery factory on Thursday. On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a video and photos of workers shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles getting on a bus after the raid, according to Reuters.

Regarding the incident where approximately 300 South Koreans were detained by US immigration authorities, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said on Sunday that "Negotiations for the release of the detained individuals have concluded," per The Chosun Daily. "As soon as administrative procedures are finalized, a chartered flight will depart to bring our nationals home."

Kang also vowed to push for improvements to the visa system for South Korean nationals traveling to the US for work to prevent similar incidents, Yonhap reported.

The operation targeted one of Georgia's largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, touted by the governor and other officials as the largest economic development project in the state's history. Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people, AP News reported.

Following the incident, South Korean officials took immediate actions. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered all-out efforts on Saturday to swiftly respond to the incident, Reuters reported. 

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na expressed regret and concern over the crackdown during a meeting with acting US Ambassador to Seoul Joseph Yun on Thursday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said. Later in the day, First Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo held a phone call with Allison Hooker, US undersecretary of state for political affairs, to discuss bilateral and international issues, Yonhap reported.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday the arrested people are "illegal aliens" and the immigration officials were "just doing their job," The Korea Times reported.

South Korean media widely described the raid as a "shock." 

The report by Chosun Ilbo headlined "South Korea built factories worth trillions of won for the US, then got slapped for being illegal immigrants," stated that this is not the first time the US government has regulated construction sites of South Korean companies. 

However, the latest incident is unprecedented in scale and comes at a time when many South Korean companies are making massive investments in the US to avoid the Trump administration's "tariff bomb," making the impact even greater, the report noted. 

The People Power Party on Sunday also sharply criticized, saying, "The Lee government has clearly handed the US a 'big gift,' yet in return it received a 'stab in the back,'" the Dong-A Ilbo reported.

A previous report by Reuters noted that the arrests could exacerbate tensions between Washington and Seoul, a key ally and investor in the US. The countries have been at odds over the details of a trade deal that includes $350 billion in investments. At a summit last month, South Korea pledged $150 billion in US investments - including $26 billion from Hyundai Motor.

The US is trying to attract South Korean investment while tightening immigration to protect jobs, a contradiction highlighted by the raid, Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

The incident could weaken South Korean firms' confidence in investing in the US and strain political trust, and diplomatic relations between the two sides may consequently experience some tension and friction, Xiang added.

The Trump administration has consistently placed emphasis on cracking down on illegal immigration, and the recent raid was seen as a fulfillment of this policy commitment, Xiang said.