U.S. President Donald Trump said on September 14 about the arrest of hundreds of South Korean workers in Georgia 10 days ago, saying the United States welcomed foreign workers and he didn¡¯t want to ¡°spy away¡± investors.

Trump wrote on Real Social: ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare out investors or weaken their willingness to invest.¡±

On September 4, law enforcement officers arrested 475 people at a car battery factory in Georgia, a South Korean automobile group jointly funded with LG New Energy, most of whom were Korean citizens.

Images of South Korean Workers Arrested (Photo/Video)

Trump explained that the U.S. would temporarily allow foreign experts to enter the country in some circumstances to assist in the manufacture of ¡°extremely complex products.¡±

¡°The technology of chips, semiconductors, computers, ships, trains, and many other products we either have to take from others, or in many cases need to re-learn, because we used to be very good in these fields, but now we can¡¯t.¡±

Trump added, ¡°We welcome them and also their employees.We can proudly say that we will learn from them and in the near future, outperform them in the fields they are good at, do better than they are.¡±

South Korean trade unions have asked Trump to apologize for the matter.

Source: Reference News

Extended reading

South Korean workers arrested in the United States return home, and some protesters pull banners demanding an apology from US President Trump

On September 12, 330 people arrested in the U.S. finally flew to South Korea, where they were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) eight days ago.

People are back, but the diplomatic friction between the United States and South Korea and the "suspicion of the United States" in South Korea are far from over.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Chosun Ilbo and Reuters, on the afternoon of 12th, the terminal building of Incheon International Airport in South Korea was crowded with journalists, company and government officials and families of released persons. At the same time, some protesters displayed homemade banners demanding an apology from US President Trump.

"We were handcuffed and ankled", "The US dispatched armored vehicles and helicopters for a surprise attack", "The police pointed guns at us", "70 of us were crowded in a small room"... After stepping into Korean territory, these workers complained bitterly and told their nightmares when they were arrested and detained.

According to the report, some South Korean officials said that Trump encouraged released South Korean workers to stay in the United States to train Americans. However, the released workers and their families still have lingering fears and resolutely refuse. Some family members said that after all this, "I will never let my family step into the United States again". Some workers bluntly said that he didn't think anyone wanted to stay in the United States. "I'm not sure if we will go back".

More details revealed: like a military operation

At 3: 52 pm on the 12th, when the released personnel entered the entry hall of the airport, warm applause broke out at the scene.

Reporters, corporate representatives, government officials and family members who were waiting at the scene shouted, ¡°It¡¯s hard!¡±

On the scene, a demonstrator showed a banner, depicting Trump wearing an ICE uniform and a rifle, and writing, ¡°We are friends, right?¡±

Demonstrators at the airport demand Trump¡¯s apology

"It was like a military operation," a worker at South Korean battery manufacturer LG New Energy recalled a nightmare when he was arrested. At the time, U.S. ICE agents deployed the entire plant in less than 10 minutes, he added.

LG¡¯s new energy company¡¯s employee, Trei Inghi (44 years old, voice translator), has a brown face.

¡°It wasn¡¯t until I saw them put on bracelets and chains for me that I realized the situation was serious,¡± Qingxi recalled, ¡°I felt ICE had a tough attitude at first and treated us as criminals.

Cui Yingxi was sent to a factory in the United States as a facility engineer on a B-1 (short-term business) visa. He said: "They even sent armored vehicles and helicopters to conduct raids, but I faced it calmly because there was no problem with the visa. I didn't expect myself to be detained."

One family member said: ¡°My son told me that five or six policemen pointed at him with a gun from behind, ordered him to lie down and confiscated everything, including his mobile phone, before arresting him.¡±

The workers who were released also revealed the harsh conditions of detention.All Shankh (56 years old, translated) said: ¡°In the beginning, 70 people were crowded in one room, but there were only five or six toilets, and the toilets were all open.¡±

¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll really leave, and that¡¯s the hardest part,¡± when asked about life in detention, one of the workers said that fear was ¡°the worst.¡±

Others complained about the quality of the food and said the drinking water smelled like bleach.

A woman said: ¡°I couldn¡¯t even ask my husband if they were really taken away by chains and belts, which is where I¡¯m most angry and angry,¡± she said, hoping the government can handle the matter properly.

According to Reuters, South Korean officials said on the 12th that Trump encouraged released South Korean workers to stay in the United States to train Americans.

¡°Which family would allow their children to go to the U.S. again if this happened?¡± the wife of a contractor told reporters, ¡°I¡¯m definitely not going to let them go to the U.S.¡±

Choi Young-hee said: "I don't think anyone wants to stay... After all this, I'm not sure if we will go back."

Released South Korean workers crying together with their families (Photo / Korean Associated Press)

"The U.S. Embassy has promised that it will be no problem to open the factory like this"

The Japanese newspaper Daily Asia on Monday that 330 people arrested in the United States returned to South Korea, drawing a sentence for a week-long story.

On September 5, local time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE agents arrested 475 workers at a Hyundai Motor factory in Georgia, USA. The US side called these people "illegal immigrants". According to the South Korean side, about 300 of the arrested people are South Korean citizens.

The US New York Times noted that the operation was part of Trump¡¯s fight against illegal immigration and sparked diplomatic alarm just over a week ago, when Trump met South Korea¡¯s President Li Keqiang at the White House, who pledged an additional $150 billion investment in the United States, including battery manufacturing.

Scene map of ICE agents' raid on Korean factories (picture/video screenshot)

According to reports, the factory concerned is a joint venture between battery manufacturer LG New Energy and Modern Automobile Group, and is expected to start operations next year.

LG New Energy said it will provide paid leave for all employees returning home, and arrange medical examinations and psychological counseling services.

According to Reuters, before the departure, South Korean Foreign Minister Zhao Zhao met with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Washington. Rubio said he understood South Korea's sensitivity to the issue. The report said that both sides agreed to discuss the visa rules for South Korean workers.

According to data submitted to Congress by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most of the 316 South Korean citizens arrested and detained by the United States this time are B-1 visa or ESTA (Electronic Travel Permit) holders, with a ratio of about 1: 1.

The head of LG¡¯s new energy company said: ¡°The U.S. Embassy in South Korea has always said that even with a B-1 visa can open a factory in the U.S. I¡¯ve been in the U.S. for more than three years and this is the first time I¡¯ve come across this situation.

Jiang Zemin, secretary of the South Korean Presidential Chamber, who welcomed the people released on the same day, also acknowledged that there were differences between the two countries on the interpretation of the B-1 visa, adding: "In the long run, we need to quickly start discussions within the working group (with the United States) to eliminate the root of fundamental distrust."

Zhang Zhen told reporters that now, South Korea's dealings with the United States are in a "new normal." he complained that "the standards change every time, and we must constantly reach an agreement, not only on tariffs, but also on security issues."

The incident highlights a clear conflict between the two key policies of the Trump administration: one is immigration policy, where ICE agents are strictly dealing with immigration and deporting illegal immigrants; and the other is investment, which has previously pressured foreign companies with advanced technology to open factories or expand operations in the United States to provide jobs for American workers and strengthen the American supply chain.

After the incident, Lee Jae-myung expressed concern about South Korea's business relationship with the United States.

On the 12th, Li said at a press conference at the Centennial: ¡°From a company¡¯s perspective, building a local factory in the United States could bring a variety of disadvantages or difficulties ... which could have a significant impact on (Korean) future direct investment in the United States.¡±