US authorities have arrested nearly 500 people at a factory belonging to South Korean automaker Hyundai. Most of them are South Koreans. Tensions between Seoul and Washington are likely to rise.

U.S. immigration authorities arrested approximately 475 people during a raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia. More than 300 of them are South Korean citizens, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul confirmed.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says those arrested entered the country illegally or had expired work visas. The raid is the largest single operation of its kind in the Department of Homeland Security's history.

LG Energy Solution warns its employees

The affected factory of the South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor produces batteries for electric vehicles. The plant is one of the company's largest investments in the United States. Due to the arrests, work has been suspended. A company spokesperson said that none of those arrested were directly employed by Hyundai Motor.

The South Korean battery company LG Energy Solution announced that 47 of its employees were among those arrested. All employees currently in the US on business should return to South Korea as soon as possible. The company also announced that it would send senior management to the United States to resolve the matter.

Tensions with South Korea

The government in Seoul also reacted with alarm to the arrests. President Lee Jae Myung ordered"comprehensive measures." Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced that the government had set up a team for this purpose. He also stated that he was willing to travel to Washington to clarify the matter.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry had previously stated that they were concerned about the events and regretted them. They emphasized that the economic activities of companies investing in the United States, as well as the rights and interests of their own citizens, should not be unfairly violated.

South Korea is a major investor in the United States. However, there are currently disagreements between the two countries, so the arrests could further exacerbate tensions. The background to this is the negotiations on a trade agreement between the two countries, where there is disagreement over the details. The agreement calls for $350 billion in South Korean investments in the United States.