On the 7th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the incident where more than 300 Korean workers were arrested and detained at the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia due to a crackdown by U.S. authorities would not affect U.S.-South Korea relations.
President Trump, speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington D.C., was asked if he thought this incident would strain U.S.-South Korea relations. He responded, “No,” adding, “We have a very good relationship with South Korea.”
He further elaborated, “We really have a good relationship,” and mentioned, “As you know, we just signed a trade agreement.”
President Trump particularly emphasized that “If there is no one in this country who knows about batteries, we need to help bring in some personnel (to the U.S.) and train our people to do complex tasks such as battery manufacturing, computer manufacturing, or shipbuilding.”
He continued, “We will look at this whole situation,” and added, “There are many situations we don’t have anymore. We need to exchange personnel.”
President Trump explained, “The way to train personnel is to bring in people skilled in the field, have them stay for a certain period, and provide assistance,” suggesting that “We need to come up with ways to bring in experts to train our people so they can do it themselves.”
These remarks by President Trump are interpreted as a willingness to resolve visa issues that have been a persistent problem concerning Korean companies’ investment in the U.S.
In a statement on ‘Truth Social’ the same day, Trump also said, “After the immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai battery plant, I ask all foreign companies investing in the U.S. to respect our immigration laws,” while also welcoming investment, noting, “We encourage you to bring outstanding talents with exceptional skills legally to create world-class products. We will make it possible swiftly in a legal manner.”