Seoul urges protection of citizens after U.S. raid on Hyundai Georgia plant detained Koreans

Now, over in the U.S., federal authorities conducted a major raid at a Hyundai Motor Group facility in Georgia on Thursday, local time, with reports indicating that several Korean nationals were detained.

For more, we go live to our reporter, Moon Hye-ryeon.

Hye-ryeon, what can you tell us about this operation and its target?

That's right, Do-yeon.

U.S. immigration and law enforcement agencies converged on a construction site for a new electric vehicle battery plant that's part of the sprawling complex where Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles.

This massive project is a joint venture between South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution, and is one of the state's largest investments.

According to ATF Atlanta — which is the Atlanta division responsible for enforcing federal criminal law in the United States — around 450 were detained in total.

Dozens of Koreans are believed to have been taken into custody.

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet confirmed the exact number or their visa status, it is thought they were in the U.S. on short-term business visas.

ATF Atlanta shared images on social media of the raid, emphasizing their "commitment to community safety."

For a major Korean investment, this is a significant and unexpected disruption.

Right, and what has been the response from the South Korean government so far?

The ministry held a briefing on Friday afternoon, where it expressed regret over the situation and vowed to take active measures.

Take a listen to what the spokesperson said.

"The economic activities of our companies investing in the U.S. and the rights and interests of our citizens must not be unfairly violated during the U.S. law enforcement process."

A government official told the press following the briefing that the detainees are currently being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, and the ministry was still in the process of confirming whether there is an issue with their visas.

In response to this turn of events, they are dispatching consuls from the Korean Embassy in Washington and the Korean Consulate General in Atlanta to the site to form an on-site response team centered at the local consulate.

A request was also sent to the U.S. Embassy in Korea that special care be taken not to infringe on the rights and interests of South Korean citizens.

That's all I have for now, so back to you, Do-yeon.

Alright, thank you for the report.