00:00More than 300 South Korean workers detained at a Georgia construction site last week
00:04are now back home in Seoul. It follows their release from U.S. immigration centers.
00:11Their return home brings closure to a saga that outraged many in South Korea
00:16and may harm the American ally's future business investments in the United States.
00:21Following their departure from Atlanta, the workers were greeted at Seoul International
00:25Airport by loved ones. Some people held a banner of an ICE agent wearing a mask,
00:30depicting President Trump. The banner read, quote,
00:33We're friends, aren't we? One mother told CNN she was unable to get in touch with her son
00:38until their reunion at the airport. Another mother tells the outlet seeing footage of the ICE raid
00:43made her feel distressed, and for now she doesn't want to send her son back to the U.S.
00:48The workers were detained on September 4th during a raid at a plant near Savannah, Georgia,
00:54that will produce batteries for Hyundai electric vehicles. Detainees were placed in wrist and
00:59ankle shackles, sparking anger among South Koreans. Following negotiations between the Trump
01:05administration and South Korea, the workers were released and ultimately repatriated to Seoul.
01:10Immigration authorities say many of the workers were in the U.S. illegally,
01:14but South Korean officials and legal representatives for detainees dispute that claim.
01:19It is unknown if the workers will be able to return to the U.S., but the South Korean foreign minister
01:24says both countries are working on establishing a new visa category to ensure a similar incident
01:30doesn't occur again. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warns the situation could have a chilling
01:36effect on his country's business investment in the U.S. Hyundai's CEO says the EV battery factory
01:43now faces at least two to three months of delay. For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow
01:48News App or go to san.com.
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