Return of 300 South Korean Detainees From US Faces Delays

Over 300 South Korean workers detained in a U.S. immigration raid at an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia were expected to be repatriated on a chartered Korean Air flight; however, the flight's departure was postponed due to unspecified difficulties on the U.S. side. The detainees were arrested during a large Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at a Hyundai and LG Energy Solution joint venture construction site. South Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, are engaged in consultations with U.S. authorities to expedite the detainees' release and repatriation. Cho is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the situation, though details on the reasons for the delay remain undisclosed. The detainees have been held in rural Georgia since their arrest, with video footage showing some being shackled during the operation. Despite the chartered flight arriving from Seoul, airport officials could not confirm the plane's landing or departure status, reflecting ongoing uncertainties.