CaliToday (15/9/2025):
SEOUL – A senior American diplomat on Sunday expressed regret over a recent immigration raid in Georgia that led to the arrest of hundreds of South Korean workers, proposing the incident be used as a turning point to strengthen bilateral relations, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement came during a meeting in Seoul between First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and U.S. Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau. In the meeting, Vice Minister Park urged her U.S. counterpart to advance bilateral discussions on follow-up measures, including the potential creation of a new visa category for South Korean professionals.
The high-level meeting followed the emotional return of approximately 300 South Korean workers on Friday. They were met with cheers and tearful reunions a week after being detained in a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant. The event sent shockwaves through South Korea, a key ally of the United States.
"Under Secretary Landau expressed deep regret over the incident and proposed that it be viewed as a turning point to improve systems and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. relationship," the foreign ministry said in a statement. It added that Landau conveyed that U.S. President Donald Trump was "very interested" in the matter.
Following the raid, President Trump suggested that the Korean nationals could remain in the United States if they wished, and negotiations with U.S. officials have been "very frank," South Korea's top security adviser stated on Friday.
To prevent a recurrence, Seoul has called on Washington to provide clearer guidelines for existing business visa categories and to establish a new visa specifically for South Korean experts supporting major investment projects by Korean companies in the United States.
During Sunday's discussion, Landau reportedly called for Washington and Seoul to accelerate working-level consultations to ensure visa issuance aligns with the contributions of Korean workers. According to the ministry, he noted that South Korean investments are instrumental in helping to rebuild the manufacturing sector in the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul was not immediately available for comment.
The ministry added that Vice Minister Park described Landau's visit as "timely" in the wake of the raid. She also cited Landau's reference to President Trump's decision that the Korean workers would face no disadvantages upon their re-entry into the United States.
