S.Korea appeals to US to free workers

The operation was the largest single-site raid conducted under Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, a top political priority for the president since he returned to office in January.

The raid, less than a month after Trump welcomed South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung to the White House, has brought shock to South Korea which for decades has seen the United States as its pivotal ally.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun flew to Washington where he met Secretary of State Marco Rubio behind closed doors.

Cho also met Korean businesses in Washington and said he was seeking the "prompt and safe return" of the workers as well as assurances that they would not face any repercussions if they seek to visit the United States again in the future, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement.

In the meeting with Rubio, Cho "strongly requested the US administration's special interest and support to ensure they can swiftly depart the US without any physical restraints, including handcuffs -- given that they are not criminals," South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, quoting the foreign ministry.

Rubio in a State Department statement saluted the endurance of the alliance with the South, formally known as the Republic of Korea, and only referred in passing to the raid.

Rubio said the United States "welcomes ROK investment into the United States and stated his interest in deepening cooperation on this front," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

- Repatriation plane -

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8I, which seats over 350 passengers, left Seoul Wednesday, a company representative told AFP.

The Yonhap news agency reported that the plane due to take the workers back home  will leave the United States early Thursday. 

While no official time has been given for the return flight, South Korean officials said Wednesday it had been delayed "due to circumstances on the US side," without giving details.

South Korean diplomats had been dispatched to Georgia in a major push to free the workers, including through contacting local authorities.

In addition to being a key US security ally, South Korea is Asia's fourth-biggest economy and a major automaker and electronics producer, and its companies have multiple plants in the United States.

Seoul also heeded Washington's repeated call during tariff negotiations for global investment in the United States.

The site of the raid is a $4.3 billion joint venture between two South Korean firms –- Hyundai and LG Energy Solution –- to build a battery cell manufacturing facility in Georgia.

Experts said most of the detained South Korean workers likely held visas that do not allow for hands-on construction work.

The case could provide momentum for Seoul officials to push for a special visa act tailored to South Koreans, said US-licensed attorney Yum Seung-yul.

"Using this as a case in point, officials here could strongly push for the Partner with Korea Act in Washington," he said, referring to a proposal that would create a quota of 15,000 visas for skilled professionals.

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