Seoul, Sep 11 || The US immigration raid that led to the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers in Georgia may have not only humiliated a close ally of the United States but also left a "deep scar" on the countries' economic ties, heightening uncertainties for foreign investment in the US, industry observers said on Thursday.
US immigration officials arrested about 475 workers, including around 300 South Koreans, during a raid last week at a Georgia construction site for an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant being built by a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture, citing alleged unlawful employment practices.
The South Korean workers are expected to return home Friday via a chartered Korean Air flight from Atlanta, reports news agency.
The rare, if not unprecedented, raid on workers from an allied nation came just 10 days after a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, prompting great concerns over the alliance and also rattling many South Korean companies that operate production facilities in the U.S. or are planning investments there, industry watchers noted.