LG Energy to Start Sending South Korean Workers Back to US
Workers From Hyundai-LG Plant in Georgia Were Detained and Repatriated Last Month
[Stay on top of transportation news: .]
LG Energy Solution Ltd. will start sending workers from South Korea back to the U.S. for essential business trips less than a month after hundreds of employees were detained in a visa crackdown.
Trips will restart after the Chuseok holiday, which wraps up at the end of next week, LG Energy said in a statement Oct. 2.
“This decision follows confirmation from the U.S.-Korea working group that holders of short-term commercial (B-1) visas and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) are permitted to perform equipment installation, inspection, and maintenance at our U.S. factories,” the statement said.
Last month saw the mass detainment and subsequent repatriation of nearly 300 South Korean workers from a Hyundai Motor Co-LG electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia, marking a low point in U.S.-South Korea relations. What began as a routine immigration enforcement operation snowballed into a major diplomatic incident, prompting Seoul to dispatch its largest emergency repatriation mission since the early days of the COVID pandemic.
A rendering of the Hyundai-LG Energy plant under construction. (HL-GA Battery Co.)
The image of South Korean engineers shackled in a U.S. detention center sparked outrage in Seoul and threatened to chill investor confidence. The raid also highlighted ongoing frictions around labor, trade and immigration policy, even between close allies.
On Sept. 30, Washington and Seoul held an inaugural meeting of their Business Travel and Visa working group in Washington as part of efforts to establish clarity in the U.S. work visa system. Most of the detained workers were on B-1 visas or under a 90-day visa waiver program commonly referred to as ESTA, which doesn’t allow for employment but which also doesn’t clarify the scope of business allowed.
During the meeting, the U.S. reaffirmed that South Korean companies can use B-1 visas and ESTA for installation, service and repair of equipment, and the two countries agreed to launch a South Korea investor desk at the U.S. embassy in Seoul to handle employment issues, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing above or go here for more info
LG Energy said in its statement that B-1 visa holders for business travel will be prioritized and employees will be required to carry and continuously wear proof of their work. In addition, the battery maker will establish a specialized response system in case there are visa issues again, including “designating on-site response managers and providing support from external lawyers.”
LG Energy is “committed to creating a safe travel environment, upholding customer trust and doing its best to normalize the construction and operation of our factories in the U.S.”
