The South Korean government has confirmed that a huge $350billion trade deal is not under threat with the United States, despite an immigration raid at a Hyundai electric car factory that heightened tensions between the US and South Korea.
Speaking at the Hyundai Investor Day, CEO of Hyundai Motor, Jose Munoz, said he hopes the US and South Korea can "find solutions" for short-term business travel for specialised workers.
It follows an immigration enforcement operation conducted at Hyundai's Metaplant America, which saw around 450 workers detained.
As part of the raid, more than 300 South Korean workers were arrested, with many of them being returned home on a chartered flight after a week in a US immigration detention facility.
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Munoz confirmed that many of the detained workers had been helping to calibrate and test advanced battery production technology to support the brand's US operations.
Separate reports claimed that the South Korean workers were there to train US staff on how to continue developing the Metaplant factory complex.
The South Korean government announced that it would check with companies to see whether employees had their human rights violated.
Officials from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the South Korean workers at the Hyundai plant had overstayed their visas or were not permitted to work in the US.
Hyundai is believed to be pushing ahead with its investment in the United States following the immigration raid
|REUTERS/GETTY
Images posted by the Atlanta division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed workers being led away in shackles, chains and plastic bracelets.
The ATF described the raid as a "major immigration enforcement operation" in Bryan County, Georgia, which led to the apprehension of around 450 "unlawful aliens".
Officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and other agencies were present in the raid.
It is estimated that Hyundai has invested $12.6billion - or £9.3billion - in the Georgia electric vehicle battery plant, alongside partners LG Energy Solution and SK On.
Protesters with a 'No one is illegal' banner in South Korea
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The immigration raid on the Hyundai plant in Georgia took place earlier this month
|REUTERS
Speaking with Reuters, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he doesn't believe President Donald Trump ordered the immigration raid.
President Lee said many South Korean citizens were angry at the "harsh" treatment of the workers at the Hyundai plant, with some protesting against the US for alleged mistreatment of South Korean citizens.
However, the President said the immigration raid would not have an impact on the bilateral relationship between South Korea and the United States.
He added: "I do not believe this was intentional, and the US has apologised for this incident, and we have agreed to seek reasonable measures in this regard and we are working on them."
ATF Atlanta reported that around 450 workers had been detained at the plant | ATFATLANTAIt comes as South Korea and the Trump administration continue to negotiate a massive $350billion (£259billion) trade deal, of which Hyundai is a key player.
President Lee warned that a withdrawal of the trade deal could see a dramatic economic downturn, likening it to the 1997 financial crisis.
President Trump has also commented on the incident. He took to social media site Truth Social to explain that workers were "welcome", and that the US doesn't want to "frighten off" potential investors.
He wrote: "We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own 'game,' sometime in the not too distant future."