South Korea outraged at 300 workers treated as ‘prisoners of war’ in US raid | Global development
More than 300 South Korean workers arrived at Incheon International Airport in the afternoon of Friday and terminated the ordeal of the US Department of Internal Security by the Migration and Customs Execution (ICE) agents that started with the largest single site raid so far and questioned whether he could trust the closest ally to South Korea.
316 Koreli, together with 14 workers from other nations, landed in a Hyundai-LG battery facility construction site in Georgia since September 4, shortly after local time.
The workers had demanded privacy, and the gathered media maintained their distance as they appeared in small groups to ride the waiting buses. Most of them wore face masks and carried only small bags; Many seem to be worn out, but the ordeal finally allows people to relax tired.
Vice President Kang Hoon-Sik, who appealed to reporters, said that he had come to present promises to encouragement. Im We’ve done our best, but I’m sorry that we couldn’t bring them back to their homeland, ”he said.
Kang, “We are a new normal age in dealing with the United States,” he said. “The standard changes every time and will constantly apply not only in tariffs, but also for security problems.”
The workers were building a battery facility of $ 4.3 billion (£ 3.2 billion), which is very important for Hyundai’s electric vehicle targets in the USA. Most LG was used by Energy Solution or subcontractors.
The detention was caused by workers using B1 business visa and a 90 -day visa waiver program (ESTA) for what US officials see actual employment rather than permissible activities such as meetings or training.
Korean companies have long been relying on this “gray region, because it takes months for official H-1B working visas and South Korea lacks special quota allocation of other US commercial partners. Previous US administrations had largely turned into a blind eye.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung handed over the sharpest warning to Washington, stating that Korean enterprises will “hesitate to invest directly” if the US cannot solve the visa problems quickly.
Korean Korean enterprises entering the United States are probably in serious surprise, ”he said. “This is not long -term permanent employment, but to establish facilities and equipment for factories; we need technicians to build machinery and equipment. [our workers] stay and work. “
Workers Leaving Georgia is delayed one day President Donald Trump offered to allow them to stay and train Americans, but only one person chose to stay.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun flew to the United States to meet Marco Rubio of his counterpart, guarantee guarantees That workers will not be restricted while moving.
The privilege filed a particularly sensitive complaint after the publication of ICE’s video images that evokes the experiences of Korean workers to chains, and the experiences of the foreign forces that evoke historical subjugation experiences.
He created an unprecedented public anger. A Survey by local publisher MBC While 68% of the respondents discussed the situation of the US government, he believed that “South Korea was not considered an ally”.
Korean media answers were broken in political spectrum. Seoul Economic Daily announced that there are workers He was treated like “prisoners of war”; Conservative Chosun Ilbo He said to this “ruthless arrest operation” Representing “Violation of Trust ;; during Gradual HANKOREHCat: “Is that what you do for an ally?” And he announced that the Koreans felt “backstabed öz after Lee’s last meeting with Trump.
At the airport, a 75-year-old protester Hong Jung-Sik reflected the anger of a nation when he said that the detention of other citizens betrayed him. “Trump, who do you think you are?” He shouted and described the section as “national humiliation” and “bad behavior ..
