White House apologizes to Hyundai CEO over Georgia factory raid

Hyundai Chief Executive José Muñoz revealed on Wednesday that he received a personal phone call from the White House apologizing for a massive immigration raid at a Georgia battery plant.

Speaking at a business conference in Singapore, Mr. Muñoz shared details regarding the diplomatic fallout of the September incident, describing the event as a "bad surprise" that momentarily strained relations between Washington and Seoul.

In September, federal officers raided a battery plant operated by Hyundai and electronics giant LG. 

More than 300 South Korean workers were detained. Reports indicate workers were forced to sit on the floor and shackled by the legs, sparking outrage in South Korea. They were held for over a week before being flown home following urgent diplomatic talks.

Hyundai warned that the raid would delay the plant's opening due to resulting labor shortages.

According to Mr. Muñoz, the confusion extended to state leadership. He stated that the Governor of Georgia also called him to disavow the operation, reportedly saying, "I don't know what happened, this is not state jurisdiction."

Mr. Muñoz alleged during a panel discussion at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum that the raid may have been triggered maliciously. He suggested someone "made a phone call and made it look like there were illegal immigrants" at the plant, a claim he adamantly rejected: "That's absolutely not the case."

Despite the severity of the raid, Mr. Muñoz affirmed that Hyundai remains committed to manufacturing in the United States. 

The incident also drew criticism from US President Donald Trump, who stated he was "very much opposed" to the raid. Trump emphasized the necessity of allowing foreign experts to enter the country to establish specialized facilities and train the local workforce.

Tensions have since eased. 

In October, the US and South Korea announced a broad trade deal which included a reduction of reciprocal tariffs from 25% to 15% and a pledge from South Korea to invest $350bn (£266.5bn) in the US economy.

Source: BBC