Hyundai CEO says White House apologised for factory raid

An apology was said to have been delivered by the White House to Hyundai chief executive José Muñoz after a large immigration raid at the company’s battery plant in Georgia. Muñoz told a forum in Singapore that Georgia’s governor had also called him, stating the incident had not been under state jurisdiction. The raid in September saw more than 300 South Korean workers detained. They were reportedly shackled and held for over a week before being flown home following urgent diplomatic talks.

Hyundai CEO

Hyundai had warned that the plant’s opening would be delayed due to workforce shortages caused by the operation. Muñoz said he believed a false tip had been given to authorities indicating illegal workers were present, which he denied. The raid had been described as a “bad surprise” yet the company’s US manufacturing plans were said to remain unchanged. A broad US-South Korea trade deal was later announced despite the tensions.