South Korean President Lee Jae-myung orders emergency response after 300+ South Koreans detained in U.S. ICE raid at Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia.

An extensive immigration enforcement action carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted a joint-venture battery plant construction site in Ellabell, Georgia, involving major South Korean industrial firms Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution. More than 300 South Korean workers were detained during the operation, prompting an immediate diplomatic and political reaction from Seoul.koreajoongangdaily.comkoreajoongangdaily.comPresident Lee Orders Swift Response After Over 300 Koreans Detained in Us RaidThe Incident (September 2025) What Happened: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a massive, months-in-the-planning immigration raid at a sprawling Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution (LGES) joint-venture battery plant...

In response to the detentions, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung convened high-level officials and instructed government agencies to execute a swift emergency response. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and other senior officials conducted briefings and deployed dedicated response teams to manage the crisis, while President Lee publicly described the enforcement action as bewildering and warned that it could impact future bilateral investment.scmp.comscmp.comSouth Koreas Lee Calls Us Raid Bewildering Says Saga Could Hit InvestmentResolution and Aftermath: President Lee subsequently announced that the detained South Korean workers would be released and repatriated via a chartered flight back to South Korea Resolution and Aftermath: President Lee subsequently...time.comtime.comIce Raid Georgia South KoreaThe Event: In early September 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted one of the largest single-site immigration enforcement operations in U.S. history at a joint Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant project site...