South Korea's President 'Baffled' After 300 Workers Detained In US Raid, Warns Fallout Could Hit Future Investment

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said a U.S. immigration raid that detained more than 300 Korean workers at a Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia has unsettled investors and could weigh on future direct investment. 

“They simply needed skilled technicians to install the equipment to build the plant because there aren't workers available in the U.S.,” Lee said Thursday, saying the incident left him“baffled,” Bloomberg reported.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump urged foreign companies to respect U.S. immigration rules while reaffirming that America welcomes investment. Writing on Truth Social, he stated that the U.S. will“make it quickly and legally possible” to bring in technical talent, but emphasized that firms must adhere to U.S. law and prioritize hiring and training American workers.

The raid, which is the largest ever at a single site, saw 475 workers detained, including 316 South Koreans. 

South Korea's presidential office said it has reached an agreement with Washington to release its citizens, with a charter flight planned once administrative steps are completed.

Images of shackled workers circulated widely in South Korea, fueling public anger and casting a shadow over Lee's presidency just 100 days in. Local media described the detention facilities as“worse than prisons.” 

The episode comes less than two weeks after Lee met Trump at the White House, where Korean conglomerates pledged hundreds of billions in U.S. investment, including Hyundai's commitment of $26 billion through 2028. 

Hyundai stated that none of its direct employees were detained, while LG confirmed that 47 of its workers were held and has suspended U.S. business travel.

Lee also linked the raid to wider trade tensions, noting a July deal that kept a 15% levy on most Korean imports and lingering disputes over Seoul's $350 billion U.S. investment pledge. 

“What's on the surface may look rough, excessive, unreasonable, even irrational,” he said.“But the final conclusion will come out in a reasonable way, and we must make sure it does.”

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was 'neutral' for the SPDR S & P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) amid 'high' message volume and for the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) with 'low' volume, while it was 'bearish' for the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) amid 'normal' volume.

So far this year, SPY is up 12%, QQQ has gained 14%, while EWY has surged 51%, outperforming both U.S. ETFs

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

MENAFN11092025007385015968ID1110046833