Relations between the United States and South Korea are deteriorating due to the raid on the Hyundai plant. What the media is writing

Relations between the United States and South Korea have deteriorated sharply after about 300 illegal workers from the Asian country were detained in Georgia. They worked on the construction site of the Hyundai plant, which serves as an example of cooperation between the two countries and is designed to provide Americans with jobs. The raid has caused confusion among investors who fear new arrests on migrants. What the media write about the scandal is in the Izvestia digest.

Associated Press: South Korea to bring 300 workers home

More than 300 South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and returned home. The head of the presidential Administration of the Republic of Korea, Kang Hong-sik, said that Seoul and Washington have completed negotiations on the release of workers. He also added that South Korea plans to send a charter plane for their return home as soon as the remaining administrative procedures are completed.

This operation was the latest in a series of workplace raids carried out as part of the US President Donald Trump's mass deportation program. However, it stands out especially because of the scale and the fact that the facility that was attacked was advertised as Georgia's largest economic development project. The raid stunned many in South Korea, as that country is a key U.S. ally. In July, the country agreed to purchase $100 billion worth of American energy resources and invest $350 billion in the United States in exchange for reduced duties.

BBC News: South Korean worker tells of panic during raid

A South Korean worker who witnessed a large-scale immigration operation at an automobile factory in Georgia spoke of the panic and confusion that arose after the arrival of federal agents and the arrest of hundreds of people. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was at a factory jointly owned by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. He said that he first learned about the raid on September 4 in the morning, when he and his colleagues received a barrage of calls from company executives.

According to U.S. officials, some workers tried to escape, including several who jumped into a nearby septic tank. They were divided into groups based on citizenship and visa status, after which they were checked and loaded onto several buses. One of the plant's employees, who had the right to be in the United States, said that the vast majority of the detained workers were mechanics who installed production lines at the facility and worked for a contractor. The man said that, in his opinion, almost all the workers had some kind of legal right to be in the United States, but they had the wrong type of visa, or their right to work had expired.

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Bloomberg: Trump called for bringing instructors to the country instead of workers

Trump has said he wants to find a way to bring in experts to train American workers after an immigration raid on a South Korean-owned electric car battery factory in Georgia. He called on foreign companies to respect U.S. immigration laws, saying in a post on Truth Social that his administration would "make it possible to bring in workers quickly and legally" if companies would hire and train Americans.

The raid came at a difficult moment, shortly after Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held a summit to showcase their alliance and consolidate a new trade agreement. The crackdown has shaken South Korea and cast doubt on the country's willingness and ability to fulfill promises made by the Trump administration to invest an additional hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States.

Reuters: US authorities have warned about the intention to conduct more raids

The Trump administration plans to hold more businesses accountable for immigration control, White House Border Patrol chief Tom Homan said on Sunday. At the same time, opponents of repression and some business groups argue that major U.S. industries, including agriculture, hospitality, and meat processing, depend on immigrants who do not have legal status.

A representative of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said at a press conference that some of those arrested in Georgia illegally crossed the border and overstayed their visas. Another Immigration and Customs police officer reported that many of them had tourist and business visas that did not include work permits. The arrests followed Trump's tougher rhetoric on illegal immigration. The president has been considering sending National Guard soldiers and federal officers to Chicago for several weeks to combat crime and illegal immigration.

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The New York Times: The raid exposed tensions between the United States and South Korea

The Hyundai complex has realized the ambitions of South Korean automakers seeking to compete in the American market. It also became the culmination of a long campaign by the Georgian authorities to attract Korean investments. Until recently, workers were busy building the last stage of this project, a factory for the production of batteries for electric vehicles. But that prospect was clouded by uncertainty after federal authorities raided the plant, halting construction.

Experts on relations between South Korea and the United States said they were concerned that the raid could have devastating consequences, undermine trust and increase discontent. Abraham Kim, president of the Council of Korean Americans, said he found the arrests counterproductive, especially as Korean Americans have made strides in combating stereotypes that Asians are undesirable in America.