More than 300 Koreans were arrested at Hyundai, Georgia, in a raid. The picture shows the detainee being detained in handcuffs. /Reuters

South Korea officials said Thursday that US President Donald Trump had once stopped plans to repatriate more than 300 South Korean workers after the raid in Hyundai-LG factory in Georgia. Trump allegedly hopes to explore the possibility of allowing them to stay and train American workers.

The 316 Koreans were released on Thursday and were originally scheduled to return home on Friday afternoon. Previously, South Korean Foreign Minister Zhao Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, demanding that the US "quick release". They were originally scheduled to leave on a chartered flight from Korean Air on Wednesday.

South Korean officials said the delay in the repatriation plan was due to problems in the United States, but did not disclose specific details.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official who asked not to be named said when introducing the diplomatic negotiation process that Rubio told Zhao Xian that Trump had stopped repatriation because "considering the detained South Korean citizens are all skilled workers", he wanted to "understand South Korea's position, that is, should they stay and train American workers or should return home."

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According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Xian told Rubio that South Korea hopes to bring these South Korean citizens back to the country first and they can return to the United States later. The Foreign Ministry said the US agreed.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said there was no more information to add and transferred the issue to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment via email.

Trump's intervention highlights a contradiction that South Korea has pointed out within a week after the raid: on the one hand, the US government hopes to attract advanced companies from South Korea and other countries to invest in the United States, but on the other hand, it fails to provide a corresponding visa system to support these companies in establishing high-tech factories in the United States.

A Korean Air chartered flight was parked at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Wednesday. (Photo by Mike Stewart)

Last week, federal law enforcement officers arrested 475 workers at the plant in Ellabell, Georgia, the largest site enforcement operation to date in Trump's second term. Among the 316 arrested Koreans, one requested to stay in the United States for their desire to reunite with their families.

Encouraged by successive U.S. governments, South Korean companies and their subcontractors have built factories in the United States, aiming to help revive U.S. manufacturing and compete with other Asian countries.

Industry insiders said that since it is difficult to find workers with corresponding skills in the United States and that long-term work visas are not easy to obtain, South Korean companies usually send workers with temporary visa-free or short-term business visas to assist in the construction and operation of high-tech factories.

South Korean President Lee Jae-ming said on Thursday that the incident could have a chilling effect, especially as the visa system remains unchanged, which will cause South Korean companies to "very hesitate" in expanding their U.S. operations.

He said: "I think this will have a significant impact on future direct investment in the United States."

"Companies that we expand overseas can be very confused," he said. "We don't send people there for long-term research or employment. When you build a factory, you need someone who knows how to install machines and debug equipment, right?"

South Korean President Lee Jae-ming attended a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. (Kim Hongzhi/Reuters/Pool/European Photos)

South Korean officials said these South Korean citizens in Georgia came to build an electric vehicle battery plant jointly ventured by Hyundai and LG Energy Solutions. Hyundai has said that once the plant is fully operational, it will employ more than 8,000 employees, with 99% of the jobs being offered to Americans.

South Korean officials said they had repeatedly asked U.S. Congress leaders to solve the visa problems of South Korean companies. Especially in the context of the Trump administration's continued support for South Korea's business investment, the scene of workers being shackled and handcuffed during the raid has aroused anger and confusion in South Korea.

At present, the specific visa status of these Korean workers is not yet clear. U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said that some of the workers arrested during the raid were illegally entering the country, some people violated visa regulations and some people's visas have expired.

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Author: Michelle Ye Hee Lee