Washington/Atlanta/Seoul, Sept. 11 (Yonhap)-The chartered plane responsible for repatriating the South Korean employees who were arrested during the recent raid led by the United States immigration service will take off this Thursday around noon (local time) from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, in the state of Georgia informed.
The Korean Air apparatus, which will bring back to the country 316 South Korean nationals as well as 14 people of foreign nationality, was initially left on Wednesday, but the flight was delayed. The workers started to go to the airport from the detention center in Folkston between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
This evacuation takes place while the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cho Hyun, met Wednesday with the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in the White House to obtain the rapid release of Korean detainees. During their discussions, Cho asked Rubio to allow his compatriots to quickly return home without physical constraints, such as handcuffs, and to ensure that they do not meet any obstacle during their next entry on American soil, reported his office.
These employees were arrested in Bryan County during an operation on September 4 on the construction site of a battery plant for electric vehicles for a joint venture between the Hyundai Motor group and LG Energy Solution. According to the American authorities, they worked illegally in the United States and some of them had a short visa, prohibiting them from having a professional activity in the country.
A plane chartered by Korean Air took off from Incheon International Airport on September 10, 2025, to repatriate the South Koreans who were arrested in the American State of Georgia. (Press corp joint) (Yonhap archive photo)
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