South Korea's foreign ministry announced on Monday that its nationals, who were detained during a recent US immigration raid, are expected to return home voluntarily, avoiding formal deportation. The raid, which targeted a construction site for an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia, was part of a multi-month criminal investigation into "unlawful employment practices". This site is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.

Over 475 individuals were detained by US federal authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with a majority being South Korean nationals. A judicial search warrant was executed at the location, confirming the scale and seriousness of the operation.

In response to the incident, South Korean presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik outlined the planned return of the detained workers. Following negotiations with the US, arrangements are being made to charter a plane to bring the workers back to South Korea once they have completed all necessary administrative procedures.

Moreover, Kang assured that the South Korean government will take steps to enhance the visa system for business travelers to the US, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future. This move indicates a proactive approach to ensuring the welfare of its citizens abroad and maintaining robust international labor relations.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has also been actively involved, holding discussions with an official from LG Energy Solution to facilitate the smooth release and repatriation of the detained nationals. This high-level engagement underscores the importance of the issue at both corporate and governmental levels.

As the detained South Koreans prepare to return home, this incident highlights the complexities and challenges of international employment and immigration laws, prompting a reevaluation of current practices to better protect workers in global enterprises.