South Koreans condemn ICE crackdown on workers; calls for boycott rise

(GEORGIA, UNITED STATES) South Korean officials and business leaders sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an ICE detention operation at Hyundai’s battery complex in Georgia on September 4, 2025, where agents held 475 workers, including 300 South Koreans, in a high-profile sweep. Many of those detained reportedly carried valid B-1/B-2 visas for short-term technical roles tied to factory setup.

The incident, widely referred to as the “Hyundai Georgia plant raid,” has sparked a diplomatic dispute, a wave of boycott calls in Seoul, and threats to delay or redirect billions in planned U.S. investments.

Seoul’s response has been swift. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned the raid and warned that companies could halt or reconsider about $350 billion in pledged investments in U.S. manufacturing projects unless the United States 🇺🇸 creates a better visa pathway for skilled technicians. The government dispatched its foreign minister to Washington for emergency talks.

Officials from both sides agreed to form a joint working group to develop new visa tools for short-term technical work. As of September 14, 2025, no policy changes or apologies have been announced by U.S. authorities.

ICE officials said the Georgia action stemmed from a months-long investigation into labor practices. But the scale of the operation and the detention of workers who, according to South Korean statements, entered under commonly used business visas, have angered Korean firms that supply automakers and chipmakers across the American South.

For many in South Korea, the raid underscored growing uncertainty over the rules that govern short stays for factory launch teams, engineers, and equipment installers.

Diplomatic fallout and visa dispute

At the center is the B-1/B-2 visa, a visitor category used for short business trips, meetings, and certain limited technical activities. Korean firms say this framework is now inadequate for large-scale industrial rollouts that require specialized staff on site for weeks or months.

Seoul has asked Washington to create a dedicated visa for these technicians—akin to the limited, treaty-based categories the U.S. offers some partner countries—so that factory deployments do not hinge on a visitor visa that agents can interpret unpredictably.

Key points:
– South Korea’s demand: a new, targeted visa category for skilled technicians supporting facility setup.
– U.S. position to date: discussions underway via a bilateral working group; no public timeline or rule changes yet.
– Business concern: exposure to on-site enforcement, as seen in the Hyundai Georgia plant raid, can stall production lines, delay launches, and trigger supply chain losses.

For readers seeking the official rules that apply to short business travel, the U.S. Department of State – Visitor Visas (B-1/B-2) publishes B visitor visa guidance explaining permitted activities, documentation, and consular processing steps. See: U.S. Department of State – Visitor Visas (B-1/B-2). Korean companies argue that while this framework allows some limited technical tasks, it does not match the real demands of high-tech factory commissioning.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the absence of a reliable U.S. visa category for short-term industrial technicians puts Korean projects at legal risk and increases the chance of site-level disruption. The publication notes that without tailored rules, employers face a patchwork of interpretations—on the factory floor, at ports of entry, and during worksite checks—that can derail timelines.

Tourism and investment impact intensify

The public reaction in South Korea has been fierce. News outlets and social media users have urged citizens and firms to avoid the United States until policies change and worker treatment improves.

Travel data for 2025 show a broader slowdown in overseas arrivals:
– Q1 2025 international entries to the U.S. were down 3.3% versus Q1 2024.
– Forecasters expect an 8.2% decline in international overnight arrivals for the full year compared to 2024.

Tourist spending is slipping as well:
– Foreign visitor expenditures in the U.S. are projected to drop to just under $169 billion in 2025, down from $181 billion in 2024.
– This is roughly 22.5% below the previous peak.

Industry groups warn that fewer South Korean visitors will ripple through hotels, restaurants, retail, and tour operations—especially in cities that rely on high-spending Asian travelers. Some U.S. hospitality executives fear cancellations will surge if the perception spreads that short-term business travelers may face heightened screening or sudden worksite enforcement.

Korean manufacturers are also rethinking schedules. Several are weighing whether to delay launches or shift parts of their projects to countries viewed as more predictable for short-term technical deployments. The risks include:
– Capital flight and redirected investment.
– Longer ramp-up times for electric vehicle and semiconductor supply chains inside the U.S.
– Idle production lines if teams cannot arrive promptly for equipment installation and training.

Policy options under review

Diplomats and industry lawyers say a narrow, clearly defined visa for technical staff could lower friction without opening the door to unauthorized employment. Options discussed by stakeholders include:

1. A time-limited, nonimmigrant visa for factory commissioning and equipment setup, restricted to preapproved roles and sites.
2. Faster processing for short-term technical teams tied to strategic projects (such as batteries and chips), with strict reporting by employers.
3. Clear federal guidance on what B-1/B-2 visitors can do on site, paired with consistent training for frontline officers and worksite agents.

Business leaders stress that certainty matters as much as speed. Written rules, a limited scope, and uniform enforcement would help both governments and reduce the chance of another large-scale ICE detention event affecting travelers who believe they are complying.

Practical steps companies are taking now include:
– Pre-clearance checklists for each traveler’s tasks, duration, and site access.
– Detailed invitation letters describing the business need, the equipment, and the visit plan.
– Staggered travel to reduce the number of foreign technicians on site at once.
– Backup staffing with U.S. hires where possible to keep lines moving if overseas teams are delayed.

Labor, political, and commercial considerations

South Korean executives say they want to keep building in the United States 🇺🇸, but only if they can bring small teams for the sensitive early stages of a plant’s life. Without that, they warn that complicated machinery may not launch safely or on time.

Labor advocates in the U.S. emphasize that any new visa should not undercut American workers or allow contractors to skirt wage rules. Korean firms counter that the roles at issue are temporary, specialized tasks that prepare lines for long-term U.S. jobs.

For now, Seoul and Washington continue to meet, and the working group is gathering input from companies and unions.

What happens next will shape not only Korean travel patterns but also where future factories get built. If policymakers craft a tight, predictable visa channel for short-term technicians—and train agencies to apply it consistently—investors say projects can move forward. If not, calls for a boycott are likely to grow louder, and more firms may pause new U.S. work, wary of another site-level shock like the Hyundai Georgia plant raid.