How a massive ICE raid caused a diplomatic incident with a key US ally

The arrest of hundreds of South Korean citizens in a large-scale raid in Georgia on Thursday has sparked a diplomatic row between the United States and one of its key Asian allies.

Just two weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with President Donald Trump at the White House to seal a trade deal involving $350 billion in investments in the United States, more than 300 Korean nationals were detained at a Hyundai plant near Savannah.

This was the largest single-site enforcement operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to date and sent shockwaves through Seoul. The next two days saw a flurry of diplomatic activity in response to the raid.

President Lee held an emergency meeting, and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-ho called a press conference to express his “deep concern” over the operation. Cho said President Lee ordered “all-out efforts” to support the detained South Koreans, and that Lee “emphasized that in the context of enforcing U.S. law, the rights of our people and the economic activities of South Korean investors in the United States must not be unjustly impeded.”

Cho told reporters on Saturday, “We will discuss sending a senior foreign ministry official to the site without delay, and if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington for consultations with the US administration.”

The following day, Kang Hoon-sik, the chief of staff at the presidential office, said the government had negotiated with the US to release the workers and would charter a plane to repatriate 300 workers.

South Korea has been a strong economic and strategic ally of the United States in recent years, buoyed by a recent trade agreement with President Donald Trump that pledged $350 billion in investment in the US, including key commitments in sectors such as shipbuilding, electric vehicle batteries, and technology. Lee and Trump’s White House meeting less than two weeks ago concluded with what Trump called a “comprehensive and complete trade deal” between the two countries.

But Trump’s crackdown in Georgia could upend some of that diplomacy, particularly as it targeted South Korea’s largest automaker.

Jang Dong-hyuk, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party, urged President Lee on Saturday to take swift action, citing broader repercussions for other Korean companies.

“At a time when many Korean companies are expanding their investments and building factories across the United States, such mass arrests of workers could pose a grave national risk,” he said, according to Korean media. The South Korean government launched an emergency response team on Friday, sending consular officials to the site of the raid.

The raid also raised concerns for South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solutions (LGES), a co-owner of the factory, which announced on Saturday that it would suspend employee travel to the United States for business purposes after 47 of its employees were arrested. It also advised any employees in the United States to return to South Korea.

When asked if he was concerned that the raid would affect relations with South Korea, Trump defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He told reporters, “I would say they were illegal immigrants, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement was just doing its job.”

Stephen N. Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said in a statement Saturday that those arrested were either in the country illegally or working illegally.

“We welcome all companies that want to invest in the United States, and if they need to bring in workers for construction or other projects, that’s fine—but they have to do it legally,” he said.

Schrank also told reporters at the site on Friday that some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents were detained in the raid and later released. A total of 475 people were detained at the site.

Kang Hoon-sik, South Korea’s chief of staff, said in a televised address on Sunday that the country would review its visa system to prevent similar mistakes in the future. “We will not rest until our people return home safely,” he added.