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Hyundai CEO José Muñoz stated Wednesday that the White House personally contacted him to apologize for a large-scale immigration raid at a factory in Georgia, U.S.
Speaking at a business leaders’ conference in Singapore, Muñoz added that the governor of Georgia also contacted him, stating, “I don’t know what happened, this is not state jurisdiction.”
In September, over 300 South Korean workers were detained during a raid at a battery plant operated by Hyundai and LG, the electronics conglomerate, escalating tensions between Washington and Seoul.
When the BBC requested a statement, the White House did not directly confirm whether it had apologized to Muñoz.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement, “The United States is proud to be a home for major investments and looks forward to continuing to build on these historic investments and partnerships that President Trump has secured.”
“Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorisations,” she continued.
The BBC has also reached out to the governor of Georgia for comment.
During the raid, workers were reportedly forced to sit on the factory floor with their legs shackled, eliciting outrage in South Korea.
After urgent discussions between the South Korean government and the U.S., the workers were held in detention for over a week before being flown home, according to reports.
In September, the company cautioned that the raid might delay the plant’s opening due to labor shortages.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Muñoz suggested that an individual may have “made a phone call and made it look like there were illegal immigrants” at the plant.
“That’s absolutely not the case,” Muñoz asserted.
He described the raid as “a bad surprise” yet affirmed the company’s commitment to manufacturing in the U.S.
Then-President Donald Trump previously stated that he was “very much opposed” to the raid.
At the time, Trump suggested the U.S. had an “understanding” with the international community regarding the necessity of bringing in experts to establish specialized facilities and train local workers.
Despite the raid heightening tensions between the U.S. and South Korea, the two nations announced a broad trade deal in October, reports indicated.
Under the agreement, both countries reduced reciprocal tariffs from 25% to 15%, and South Korea pledged to invest $350 billion (£266.5 billion) in the U.S.
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