Visa Standoff Stirs Tensions: South Korean Workers Deportation Sparks Trade Concerns

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun urged U.S. Congress to back a new visa for Korean workers after hundreds were arrested in a raid, destabilizing U.S.-Korea relations. This incident threatens investment ties and highlights visa issues affecting the startup of a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called on the U.S. Congress to support a new visa initiative for South Korean businesses. This follows the arrest of hundreds of Korean professionals during an immigration raid, with detained workers now being returned to South Korea.

A group of over 300 South Korean workers, detained during last week’s raid at a Hyundai battery factory in Georgia, have been released and flown back to South Korea after a week in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

The incident has unsettled diplomatic relations between Washington and Seoul, coinciding with efforts to finalize a trade deal. It poses a risk to South Korean investment in the U.S., a move that President Trump has been keen to secure.