About 300 Korean workers detained at an immigration facility in Georgia, United States, are expected to return home as early as the 10th (local time) via a charter flight.
Cho Ki-jung, the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Washington, D.C., who oversees consular support for the detained Koreans, met with reporters at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, on the afternoon of the 7th. He noted regarding the return timeline, "I think it will be around Wednesday (the 10th)." The charter flight arranged by the government is expected to depart from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida, which is about a 50-minute drive from the Folkston detention facility. Consul General Cho explained, "After discussing related operations, the closest airport is said to be Jacksonville Airport."
Diplomatic officials from Korean missions in the United States, including the Atlanta Consulate, conducted further interviews with the detained workers at the ICE facility in Folkston on this day, following the previous day's meetings. Female workers are being held in a separate women-only facility, and Consul General Cho stated, "The consular meetings have been largely completed, and the discussions with the women's facility will also be nearly wrapped up today."
Regarding the status of the detained workers, Consul General Cho said, "I saw them gathered in the dining room and they all seem to be doing well," adding, "It's not as comfortable as being at home." He also emphasized, "We are making efforts to send those who wish to return to Korea as quickly as possible," stating, "While there is a need for a process to confirm individual wishes, we will do our best to ensure that those who want to return can do so as quickly as possible."
Earlier, the U.S. immigration authorities conducted an enforcement operation on the 4th at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Ellaville, Georgia, resulting in the arrest and detention of 475 individuals, including more than 300 Koreans.
The presidential office stated on the 7th, "The negotiations for release have been completed," adding, "As soon as the administrative procedures are finished, the charter flight will depart to bring our citizens back."