South Korea sends a delegation to Georgia following the arrest of hundreds of Koreans during a raid on the Hyundai-LG battery factory in the United States

In a surprising turn of events, a raid was conducted at the HL-GA Battery Company site in Bryan County, Georgia, on Friday. The operation was carried out by US Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other federal agencies.

The emergency response team, including representatives from the affected companies and the Korean Consulate in Atlanta, held an immediate meeting following the raid. The consul general at the Korean Embassy in the US, Cho Ki-joong, was present at the site early Friday local time to support the situation.

The detained individuals are primarily affiliated with local subcontractors, and none of them are direct employees of Hyundai Motor. Among those detained, LG Energy Solution has 47 employees directly employed, including 46 South Korean nationals and one Indonesian.

US President Donald Trump described the detained workers as "illegal aliens." In response, LG Energy Solution has suspended all business travel to the United States for its employees, except for client meetings, and instructed those currently on site to either return to Korea immediately or remain at their accommodations. A senior LG Energy Solution official is scheduled to visit the site on Sunday.

South Korea has launched an emergency response following the detention of approximately 475 workers, including over 300 South Koreans, during the raid. The response team is maintaining communication with US authorities and will continue providing consular assistance to Korean nationals as needed.

Both Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution are assessing the situation and will ensure full legal compliance by all suppliers and subcontractors. The raid was part of a criminal probe into allegations of "unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimes."

The emergency response team, activated in Georgia, is coordinating closely with the Korean Consulate in Atlanta to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The name of the consul general from the South Korean embassy in the USA who was present to support the situation at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia is Lee Soo-hyung.