Democratic Party 'The Future' "Regret over Detention of Korean Americans... Demand Respect for Citizens in Line with Investment Requests"

[Financial News] The Democratic Party assembly 'Better Future' (The Future) expressed regret to the U.S. government regarding the detention of Koreans at the battery plant construction site in Georgia, USA, and urged the provision of convenience and protection for the detained citizens. In particular, they raised their voices to properly respect our citizens in line with the Korea-U.S. alliance and investment requests. The ruling Democratic Party had refrained from officially stating its position, but the largest assembly within the party raised critical voices, drawing attention.
O Gi-hyeong, a Democratic Party lawmaker, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 7th, stating, "We cannot help but question the intentions of the U.S. government in carrying out large-scale arrests and detentions under the pretext of entry formalities."
O said, "The Republic of Korea is the top contributor to job creation in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year, and during recent trade negotiations, the U.S. government demanded direct investment from our government and companies," adding, "Therefore, our companies are maintaining and expanding investments in the U.S. Factory establishment and personnel dispatch are essential in the process of direct investment in the U.S."
He continued, "We need to deploy our personnel according to scheduled plans and urgent situations, but sometimes visa issuance for employment purposes is delayed. In such cases, there are instances where entry is made in other forms due to unavoidable circumstances," emphasizing, "If the U.S. genuinely wants to attract investment from our companies, such incidents should not occur."
O pointed out, "The Republic of Korea and the United States have been long-standing allies for over 70 years. Despite large-scale investments by our companies, the U.S. visa system has been insufficient to support this. The U.S. government should provide all necessary convenience and protection for our detained citizens."
He added, "The government should demand improvements in the visa issuance process for investment-related visits and ensure the safety of our citizens before expanding investments in the U.S."
Concerns also arose from the opposition party. Choi Bo-yun, senior spokesperson of the People Power Party, commented, "Just ten days after the Korea-U.S. summit, an unprecedented situation occurred where over 300 Koreans were detained in poor facilities, a symbol of the Korea-U.S. manufacturing alliance. The Lee Jae-myung government must act immediately, not just 'review'."
Senior Spokesperson Choi argued, "The sight of people being transported in handcuffs on a bus is a national humiliation and disgrace," adding, "Despite offering a 700 trillion won gift package, the result of diplomacy without even a joint statement has led to this large-scale crackdown, sparking anger."
In the same party, lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo stated on social media (SNS), "President Lee Jae-myung failed to become the 'pacemaker' he mentioned to President Trump, becoming only a 'troublemaker'," adding, "The president must focus all possible efforts on resolving the situation, such as dispatching a special envoy to the U.S. immediately." Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo also wrote on SNS, "700 trillion won in U.S. investment, increased defense budget to buy U.S. weapons, increased agricultural imports for quarantine convenience, and yet an unprecedented scale of arrests. Global sucker diplomacy certification."
Meanwhile, on the 4th (local time), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a large-scale crackdown on illegal immigrants at the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant (HL-GA Battery Company) construction site in Savannah, Georgia. As a result, 47 people affiliated with LG Energy Solution (46 Korean nationals and 1 Indonesian national) and over 250 people affiliated with HL-GA Battery Company-related equipment partners were detained. Diplomatic authorities confirmed that over 300 Koreans were detained. It was found that there were no detained personnel from Hyundai Motor. President Lee instructed diplomatic authorities to respond with all efforts for a swift resolution of this incident.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Kim Yoon-ho reporters