U.S. Border Protection Agency Deports 33 Koreans for Attempted Illegal Employment at SK Inno Factory Site

[Asia Economy Reporters So-yeon Park and Hyun-jin Jung] It was revealed belatedly that the U.S. government caught and deported 33 Koreans who attempted to illegally enter the United States with the intention of working at SK Innovation's factory construction site in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and SK Innovation on the 22nd, last month at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Koreans attempting to illegally work in the U.S. with false employment certificates were caught. CBP initially denied entry to 12 individuals who arrived from Incheon on a Korean Air flight.

After conducting an investigation on these individuals, CBP stated that they were scheduled to work at a battery factory for 2 to 3 months and receive $6,000 to $7,000 (approximately 7.27 million to 8.49 million KRW). They submitted employment certificates claiming they possessed the skills required for specific tasks, but CBP explained that the certificates were false.

CBP further explained that several days later, they caught an additional 21 Koreans suspected of possessing false employment certificates. These individuals were detained at a facility near Atlanta and deported to Korea at the end of the same month. It was revealed that the Koreans caught this time had only obtained travel visas (ESTA - Electronic System for Travel Authorization) instead of official U.S. work visas.

SK Innovation confirmed that the deported Koreans attempted to work at the construction site of its subsidiary SK Battery America (SKBA) in Georgia, and that a U.S. partner company had illegally employed them. SK Innovation explained that the deported Koreans were workers who were to be employed by a second-tier partner company, a U.S. firm, and brought into the country, stating, "SKBA strongly expressed regret to the relevant partner companies and urged them to prevent recurrence."

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