In the U.S. state of Georgia, about 300 Koreans detained in a U.S. immigration enforcement operation are scheduled to return to Korea on the 11th (local time) on a charter flight at noon.
According to a source familiar with preparations for the return on the 10th, the detainees will leave the Folkston detention facility in Georgia around 2–4 a.m. on the 11th by chartered buses and head to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. They will then arrive at the airport in the morning, board the charter plane on standby, and depart at noon the same day.
These workers were arrested during an enforcement operation targeting illegal stay and employment conducted on the 4th at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia and have been held at a nearby detention facility.
They were initially set to return on a charter flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 2:30 p.m. (local time) on the 10th, but the schedule was delayed by a day due to U.S. circumstances. Accordingly, the operation of Korean Air charter flight KE2901, which was scheduled to depart the previous day, was canceled.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been consulting with the U.S. government to ensure their return is carried out as a "voluntary departure," not a forced removal, and is finalizing details to prevent disadvantages such as entry bans.