The government of South Korea is issuing a warning to the United States following a massive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia that saw hundreds of Korean nationals detained, per The New Republic.
“Under the current circumstances, Korean companies will be very hesitant to make direct investments in the United States,” said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a news conference, adding that “Companies will have to worry about whether establishing a local factory in the United States will be subject to all sorts of disadvantages or difficulties,” which “could have a significant impact on future direct investment.”
Lee said this situation will be difficult until the United States improves its visa process so that things like this do not happen in the future.
The massive raid on the Hyundai plant, which was allegedly triggered by a Georgia congressional candidate, generated eye-catching images of people being shackled and has resulted in over 300 people facing immediate deportation.
It came shortly after President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with South Korea to mitigate some of the effects of the draconian "reciprocal tariffs" he placed on nearly all foreign goods, infuriating the Korean officials who worked to get that agreement.
That tariff scheme is itself currently facing legal challenges, with the Supreme Court set to take up the question of whether Trump is allowed to issue them without congressional consent under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Trump, for his part, has been unrepentant following the raid, taking to social media to demand any foreign company doing business in the United States "respect our Nation's Immigration Laws."