'Stealing US Jobs' Controversy... SK Innovation Says "US Partners Manage Workforce"

Battery Discharged. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] A U.S. federal congressman has requested the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, to investigate the illegal employment of Korean workers at the SK Battery America (SKBA) factory construction site in Georgia, a subsidiary of SK Innovation. SK Innovation has argued that the recruitment of construction site workers is under the jurisdiction of a local U.S. partner company, not themselves.

U.S. Congressman Demands "Comprehensive Investigation into Illegal Employment of Koreans"

Doug Collins, a Republican congressman from Georgia, announced on the 20th (local time) that he has requested ICE and CBP to conduct a full investigation regarding the illegal employment of Korean workers at SKBA.

On the same day, Collins posted on his website, "I received reports from constituents that Koreans are working illegally at the Georgia factory construction site," adding, "If these actions are true, they not only harm many American workers but also constitute illegal employment and must be stopped."

Collins’s office is understood to have concluded that Korean workers are entering the U.S. without proper work visas and are illegally working using the Visa Waiver Program’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

Congressman Collins also referenced an incident in May where 33 Korean workers were deported from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport while attempting to enter the U.S. using ESTA.

These individuals attempted to enter to work at the SKBA factory construction site, and it was revealed that second- and third-tier local subcontractors tried to illegally dispatch Korean workers.

Collins emphasized the need for a full investigation, stating, "CBP judged that this incident was not isolated but part of a larger plan for illegal employment of Koreans."

Local labor unions in Georgia have also begun raising concerns about the illegal hiring of Koreans at the SKBA factory construction site.

The 'Union72,' a union of plumbing and heating workers, claimed that Korean workers have taken away jobs and have been collecting evidence by filming Korean workers’ accommodations near the construction site, according to local broadcaster Fox 5.

According to Fox 5, Georgia provided $300 million (approximately 356.5 billion KRW) in tax breaks and subsidies for the construction of the SK Battery factory to promote local job creation, as well as the factory site itself.

Union member David Kaigle said, "We were deceived by SK Battery," adding, "Koreans are working in place of 500 Americans who want to work at the construction site."

Fox 5 reported, "Korean workers were present everywhere at the SKBA factory construction site," confirming that Korean workers commuted by bus and rented nearby houses as accommodations.

They also reported that some Korean workers moved to other locations after the media coverage of their accommodations.

SK Innovation States "Local U.S. Company Manages Workforce... Cannot Intervene in Partner Company Policies Due to U.S. Sentiment"

SK Innovation explained that the recruitment of construction site workers is the responsibility of the contracted companies, not themselves.

An SK Innovation official said, "The U.S. battery plant is a symbol of Korea-U.S. economic cooperation, and all local hiring is entrusted to U.S. companies," adding, "Both the general contractor (primary partner) and subcontractors (secondary partners) are all U.S.-based companies."

He added, "Despite the battery process being as advanced as semiconductors, the project was designed from the start to allow all construction work to be done by local U.S. companies, excluding existing partners."

Although the partner companies were formed mainly with U.S. firms, issues regarding work visas for some personnel arose during the subcontractors’ own specialized workforce sourcing process.

An SK representative explained, "Due to U.S. sentiment, if the primary contractor tries to control the workforce policies of partner companies, we could face lawsuits. Therefore, we can only approach this by requesting local partners to cooperate in preventing illegal employment issues."

Meanwhile, SKBA stated in a press release, "We require all contractors to comply with federal regulations" and "are cooperating with local authorities to resolve the issue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.