Top Stories 25/09/15 South Korea to review rights violations during US raid

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President Lee called raid on Georgia factory 'bewildering,' noting it could have chilling effect on future investment

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a visit to a shipyard owned by South Korean business conglomerate Hanwha Group in Philadelphia on Aug. 26. (Photo: AFP)

By AFP, Seoul

Published: September 16, 2025 05:17 AM GMT

Updated: September 16, 2025 06:05 AM GMT

The South Korean government said Sept. 15 it would review whether there were any human rights violations when hundreds of its citizens were detained in a massive US immigration raid.

Around 475 people, mostly South Korean nationals, were arrested at the construction site of an electric vehicle battery factory in the US state of Georgia on Sept. 4.

The raid was the largest single-site operation conducted since US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown.

Images of the workers chained and handcuffed shocked South Korea, prompting a stern rebuke from Seoul.

After delicate diplomatic negotiations, the detained South Korean workers were released and flown back to Seoul.

Some of the workers told local media about appalling conditions during their arrest, including alleging they were held without being informed of their rights.

When asked about the allegations, the presidential office in Seoul said it was conducting a "thorough review."

"Both our side and the US are checking if there were any shortcomings in the measures taken and companies are also looking into it," presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung told a press briefing.

"Together with the company concerned, we are conducting a more thorough review into possible human-rights infringements."

One of the workers told Yonhap news agency that their rights were not read when they were arrested.

The worker also told the agency they were angry that ICE agents mocked them with remarks about "North Korea" and "rocket man" -- an insult Trump has previously used about Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called the raid "bewildering" and noted it could have a chilling effect on future investment.

South Korean companies "can't help but question whether setting up a plant in the US is worth the potential risks," Lee said.

In what seemed to be a response, Trump said on Sept. 14 that foreign workers are "welcome" and he does not want to "frighten off" investors.

"I don't want to frighten off or disincentivise investment," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.