US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Sunday expressed regret over the mass detention of South Korean workers in the United States and pledged to prevent similar incidents.
Landau conveyed Washington’s stance during a meeting with South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo in Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported.
US Deputy Secretary Regrets Over Mass Detention in Georgia
According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Landau apologised for the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers during an immigration crackdown earlier this month.
US authorities had detained the workers at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Bryan County, Georgia, operated as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
A total of 316 workers returned to South Korea on Friday after spending a week in a detention centre.
Landau assured Seoul that Washington would make every effort to avoid similar cases in the future. He added that President Donald Trump was following the matter closely. He guaranteed that the workers who returned home would not face disadvantages if they sought reentry into the United States.
The Deputy Secretary also proposed working-level talks on proper visa issuance for South Korean workers. He stressed the need for institutional support to protect South Korean corporations’ investments in the US economy and manufacturing sector.
Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo emphasised the challenges faced by South Korean workers during their detention. Also, he noted that the crackdown had shocked not only the workers but also the South Korean public.
Park urged the United States to take concrete steps and implement systemic improvements to ease public concerns.
Most of the detained workers had entered the United States on short-term business visas, either B-1 visas or Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) permits, which only allow brief business visits rather than employment.
South Korean companies regard such visa hurdles as major obstacles to their investments in the United States. This concern contrasts with South Korea’s position as the largest foreign investor in the US in 2023, contributing $21.5 billion.
Seoul has also pledged $350 billion in additional investments under a new trade framework. However, South Korean professionals face limited access to speciality H-1B visas, with only about 2,000 granted annually out of nearly 85,000 issued.
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