(NewsNation) — An emergency meeting was held by South Korean government officials Saturday, in response to a federal raid on a Hyundai plant in Ellabell, Georgia this week.
On Thursday, federal agents detained roughly 475 people at the plant in what officials are calling the “largest single site operation” in Homeland Security Investigations history. Federal agents in tactical gear, supported by Georgia State Patrol, FBI and DEA, entered the facility under a criminal search warrant tied to alleged unlawful employment practices. A majority of workers were South Korean nationals, according to Steven Schrank, HSI special agent in charge.
NBC News reports that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered “all-out efforts” to help those arrested during the raid, with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stating he is “deeply concerned” and felt “heavy responsibilities for the arrests of our citizens.” South Korean diplomats have been dispatched from its embassy in Washington and consulate in Atlanta to the plant and are planning to form an on-site response team, according to The Associated Press.
The raid on the South Korean auto company facility comes nearly two weeks after President Lee and President Donald Trump met in the Oval Office for talks on trade and defense.
The Associated Press reports that South Korea has previously proposed investing $150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding industry to support Trump’s “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative.