South Korea workers detained in US see may return home delayed

South Korean workers who were detained in the US in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the state of Georgia may see their departure delayed, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

Their return home “has been made difficult due to circumstances on the US side” and talks are being held to ensure that they are able to leave America as soon as possible, officials say.

The workers were originally expected to leave the US on a chartered plane at about 14:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Wednesday.

The White House said earlier that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun in Washington on Wednesday morning.

Before leaving for the US on Monday, Cho said he would work with the Trump administration to prevent a repeat of the incident.

Last week, US officials detained 475 people – more than 300 of them South Korean nationals – who they said were working illegally at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.

South Korea, a close US ally in Asia, has pledged to invest tens of billions of dollars in America, partly to offset tariffs.

The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.

The White House has defended the operation at the Hyundai plant, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump referenced the raid in a social media post and called for foreign companies to hire Americans.

The US government would make it “quickly and legally possible” for foreign firms to bring workers into the country if they respected its immigration laws, Trump said.