Detained South Korean workers to depart US on Sept 10, says report
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Activists holding signs and chanting slogans during a press conference to protest against the immigration raid.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL – South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid last week in the US state of Georgia will depart from the US around 6.30pm GMT on Sept 10 (2.30am on Sept 11, Singapore time), Yonhap news agency said, citing an unidentified diplomatic source.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Sept 10 at the White House, the US Department of State said.
At a meeting with Korean companies in Washington, Mr Cho said he would ensure the safe return of the Korean workers and that there would be no consequences on their re-entry to the US, the Foreign Ministry said.
South Korea had arranged a chartered plane to bring back about 300 workers detained in the raid
Many of the detained workers are employees of subcontractors involved in the project.
The plane left South Korea for Atlanta on the morning of Sept 10, flight data showed. A smaller number of Japanese and Chinese nationals arrested during the same immigration raid will also board the plane, South Korean media reported.
The workers currently detained in a US immigration detention facility were expected to be moved to Atlanta airport by bus early on Sept 10, said a source familiar with the matter, who works at a subcontractor and asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Representatives of Korean companies, including Hyundai Motor and LG, urged the government to negotiate with the US for a new type of visa for Korean professionals and to get clearer visa guidelines to reduce uncertainty and support their businesses in the US, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Korean businesses have complained about strict US limits on visas for skilled foreign workers, which they say make it difficult for them to oversee the construction of factories or to train the local workforce.
In a social media post on Sept 7, US President Donald Trump said the US would make it “quickly and legally possible” for foreign companies to bring their staff into the country if they respected US immigration laws.
When asked about the comment and what changes it might signal for the US visa system
“The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce are working on this matter together,” she told a news conference on Sept 9. REUTERS
