PUOLER, Ga. (AP) — After more than 300 Korean workers were detained during an attack on a Georgia battery factory, the country’s foreign minister traveled to the US in hoping to bring them home.
Law enforcement detained approximately 475 workers Thursday’s attack in Battery Factory It is under construction on the campus of Hyundai’s vast car factory west of the Savannah.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Seoul and Washington are discussing details of workers’ return. Late Tuesday, the State Department announced that Secretary Marco Rubio will meet with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at the White House on Wednesday morning.
There are a few things you need to know about the attack and its aftermath.
What efforts have been made to bring Koreans home?
South Korean Airlines says the Boeing 747-8I will fly from South Korea to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to take workers home. Asked about the flight and the Foreign Minister’s visit to the US, the South Korean embassy stated that it was in close contact with US authorities and that its priorities were “the safety of our citizens.”
South Korean workers were being held at the Immigration Detention Center in Folkestone, southeastern Georgia, near the state line with Florida. From there, Atlanta is a 285-mile drive (460 km).
A Korean television station has shown that Jo Ki-jung, the consul general of the South Korean embassy in Washington, spoke outside the detention center. He said things are going smoothly, although some control measures remained to be completed. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on media reports that he and other diplomats had met with detained workers.
What are the consequences of workers’ immigration?
US authorities say people detained during the attack “work illegally” in factories. However, Charles Kak, a lawyer representing some of the Koreans detained, said the “majority” of South Korean workers are doing approved jobs under the B-1 Business Visitor Visa Program.
Business Visa B-1 visitors allow foreign workers to stay for up to six months, reimbursing expenses while repaying their wages home. There are restrictions – for example, you can oversee a construction project, but you can’t build anything yourself, but you can install the equipment if it’s spelled in a contract, said Angelo Paparelli, a Los Angeles immigration lawyer.
South Korea is also one of 41 countries, allowing citizens to use US electronic systems for travel approval (ESTA). This will provide a visa waiver if you can provide “just a reason” for your visit, which essentially provides B-1 visa status for up to 90 days, said Los Angeles immigration lawyer Rita Sotolin.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said officials in Seoul and Washington are discussing details that could allow all detained workers in that country to voluntarily leave rather than being deported. According to a guide on the Department of Justice website, deportation orders will prevent those who are not eligible to return to the United States for up to 10 years, and those who agree to a “voluntary departure” may be able to apply for a visa to return to the United States.
How did the attack affect the area around the plants?
In Puller, a suburb of Savannah, the vast Hyundai electric vehicle factory caused noticeable growth.
The shopping centre parking sign points to a home for sale in a new plot nearby. The construction crew works in multiple apartment buildings, displaying large banners declaring new residents ready in a complex, complex apartment building.
Meanwhile, the number of Korean restaurants and Asian grocery stores is growing, amongst standard American fast food franchises and chain restaurants such as Starbucks and Cracker Barrel.
Ruby Gould, president of the Greater Savannah Association of Korea, said last week’s attacks definitely sparked unrest among Korean immigrants in the region.
“People are very upset about the incident, the arrest of workers,” Gould said. “I’m sure there are people who are afraid of this visa situation after witnessing what happened.”
The US Census Bureau says the puller population rose to 31,171 last year, a 21% increase since 2020. That period includes groundbreaking construction and construction of Hyundai’s EV factory.
People from Asia accounted for only 6% of the residents of suburban cities in 2020. Although new demographic data is not available, local people say Korean Americans and Korean immigrants have a significant share of recent newcomers.
Pastor Kim and his wife closed last month in Puller’s new home where Kim is starting her own church. He left the Army a few months ago and served as a pastor for soldiers at nearby Fort Stewart. Kim said they wanted to be part of the growing Korean community outside of Savannah.
Kim, 51, has been trying to calm some of the community’s anger and anxiety since last week’s attack. He notices few Koreans shop on weekends and reads a constant flow of messages posted to chat groups of 1,900 local Koreans.
“People feel like they’re being seen, as judged by Americans,” Kim said. “They’re scared right now. They don’t want to be in trouble.”
He said some people resent the US government considering Hyundai’s billions of dollars they invested in the Georgia plant and the thousands of US jobs it generates. Others worry that immigrant arrests mean an increase in scrutiny that hinders their own efforts to extend visas or obtain a green card.
Kim said the suggestion that local Korean residents were set in the protest was quickly stifled by others who warned them of getting attention.
“They are trying to keep things less noticeable right now,” he said.
For him, Kim hopes that the attack will not have a lasting effect.
“I hope that the Korean community will continue to thrive here,” he said.
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Blumbak was reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Hyun Jin Kim of Seoul, Diddy Tan and Paul Wiseman of Washington.
