(Folkston, Georgia = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Yu-mi = At 1:00 AM on the 10th (local time), the brightly lit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, USA, looked quiet.
Early that morning, around 300 Korean nationals detained at the facility were scheduled to be released and moved to Atlanta Airport to board a chartered plane, but there was no sign of buses or immigration officials for the mass transfer.
The detained Koreans were reportedly scheduled to travel on ICE buses, not buses provided by the South Korean government.
It was estimated that at least eight large buses would be needed to transport over 300 people simultaneously. However, only a couple of buses parked inside the facility the day before were visible, and no buses were seen lined up or entering the facility.
Then, at around 2:50 a.m. (3:50 p.m. Korean time), when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the departure of the chartered plane that day would become difficult, sighs were heard among the domestic and foreign press corps present.
The large-scale detention of Korean nationals, which began on the 4th as a result of a crackdown by U.S. immigration authorities, was expected to end in just six days, drawing attention from both domestic and international media.
As this was a completely unexpected situation, reporters continued to arrive at the scene even after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' announcement.
The confusion felt on site was even greater because it was only reported that the departure was delayed due to circumstances on the US side, but the specific reason was not confirmed.
There were quite a few reporters waiting early at Atlanta Airport to cover the departure of the chartered plane.
Foreign media outlets such as NBC and CBS also showed great interest in the detention of Koreans and were present at the scene, but their reports were in vain.
An NBC camera reporter said,"I came here at 10:30 last night, thinking the bus would depart at 1 a.m.," adding,"There are over 300 people being held, not 20 or 30, and since this is related to Trump's immigration policy, we can't help but be very interested."
LG Energy Solution officials were also unable to hide their disappointment when they heard the news of the departure delay while traveling from Savannah, Georgia, where the company's factory is located, to the Folkston detention facility in the early morning hours of the same day to support the boarding of the chartered plane for employees of the company and its partners.
Earlier, on the 4th, U.S. authorities arrested and detained 475 people, including approximately 300 Korean employees, at the construction site of a joint battery plant between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. They determined that the individuals were either staying in the country illegally or working in violation of their residency status.
The government has been negotiating with the U.S. to ensure that these individuals leave the country voluntarily and do not face any disadvantages, such as entry restrictions.
The chartered plane carrying the released Koreans was scheduled to depart at 2:30 PM on the 10th, US time, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the same day,"The departure of our citizens detained in Georgia on the 10th, local time, has become difficult due to US circumstances."
