South Korea's FM Cho to head to US on Monday after immigration raid in Georgia

Seoul, Sep 7 (IANS) South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will depart for Washington this week, diplomatic sources said Sunday, after the government announced that negotiations for the release of South Korean workers detained by a recent US immigration raid have concluded.

More than 300 South Korean nationals out of 457 people have been taken into custody during a US immigration raid on Thursday on the site operated by South Korean companies Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said negotiations for their release have wrapped up, adding that a chartered plane would head for the US if administration procedures are completed.

Cho, who is set to leave for the US on Monday afternoon, is expected to meet US officials to request their cooperation for the release of the detained South Koreans and discuss administration procedures, multiple diplomatic sources said.

The top diplomat is also expected to request US cooperation on preventing similar incidents and underscore the need to improve the visa system for South Korean nationals travelling to the US for work.

During a government response meeting to the US immigration arrests on Saturday, Cho said he would visit Washington if necessary for talks with US officials.

Consular officials started meeting South Korean nationals detained at an immigration detention centre in Folkston on Saturday, checking their health and other conditions, according to Seoul officials.

The on-site team is currently led by Cho Ki-joong, Consul General at the Korean Embassy in Washington. The team focuses on ensuring that the detained Koreans will be set free as soon as possible amid concerns that the investigation process could be prolonged.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that those arrested were found to be working illegally in the United States, including those on short-term or recreational visas that prohibit them from working.

US officials cast Thursday's raid as "the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations." US President Donald Trump expressed his support Friday for the ICE operation, describing those detained as "illegal aliens."

--IANS

int/akl/vd