A total of 316 South Koreans, along with about a dozen foreign workers, traveled by bus to Atlanta to board a chartered flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after being released from a detention facility the previous day and arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 3:30 p.m.
Looking weary and exhausted after a 15-hour flight, they quickly left the airport after being reunited with their family members who had been anxiously awaiting their return. Some of them are being driven home in cars provided by LG Energy Solution, which arranged the flight to bring the workers back to Seoul. Medical checkups will also be arranged for them upon request.
They were caught last Thursday in the largest single-site workplace in the history of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the detention of nearly 500 people, most of them South Korean nationals working at a joint electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Folkston, Georgia, by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
The U.S. immigration authority alleged that the workers were either in the country illegally, had overstayed their visas, or were employed on visas without proper work permits.
The incident occurred shortly after President Lee Jae Myung pledged massive investment plans to the country's closest ally during his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington late last month, sparking widespread public anger and concern here.
Their departure was initially delayed due to a reportedly last-minute offer from Trump for the high-skilled workers to remain in the U.S. to train local staff, but they decided to return with one choosing to stay there.
In the wake of the incident, officials from both countries are discussing the issuance of a new type of visa for skilled South Korean workers to prevent similar occurrences.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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