[Reporter’s Notebook] Korean Companies Need Breathing Room

"The enforcement of immigration law is not because we dislike Koreans, but to protect American society. If you want to cross the border, you must do so legally, and once you are here, you must follow the rules."

This was the comment of a local Republican party member whom I met near Atlanta, Georgia, on September 13 (local time), during a visit as part of the Korea Press Foundation-supported Korea-US Journalist Exchange Program. Although he maintained a polite demeanor throughout the conversation, it was clear that he viewed Korea's skilled technicians as little more than undocumented immigrants hiding out in rural poultry farms. The starting point for understanding the issue was already distorted. Since the purpose of this visit was to examine the shaky Korea-US relationship and to see the reality of the so-called MAGA (Make America Great Again) camp, their candid responses brought both relief and embarrassment.

The so-called MAGA group, the core supporters of President Donald Trump, seemed to take Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) term "illegal immigration crackdown" at face value. Their devotion to President Trump blinded them to the facts. However, in reality, a significant number of the 317 detained Korean workers were holding B-1 (business) visas. Even setting aside ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for tourism, the ambiguity surrounding the B-1 visa stemmed from differences in interpretation between the two countries. It was unreasonable to hastily label them as "illegal immigrants."

A younger Republican, meanwhile, insisted, "American workers can handle the megaplant construction." He argued that the plant could be completed without any gaps. This revealed a complete lack of understanding about the technical expertise required for plant facility construction, which is far from simple manual labor. Since 2023, Hyundai Motor Company has already been preparing to source local talent by partnering with the Georgia Institute of Technology for future mobility research and workforce development. The more the conversation continued, the more overwhelming it felt to determine where to begin explaining these processes and correcting the facts.

There were even suspicions that this incident was exploited for political reasons. ICE, after all, broadcast the detention of Korean workers in an exaggerated, TV show-like manner. Regarding the near-violent process, one American journalist remarked, "It's all a show."

The real issue is that this Georgia incident has damaged America's "trust" brand image. Was it only Korea that was shocked? Japanese, Taiwanese, and German companies also visited consulting firms and advisors, expressing their anxiety by saying, "We could be next." The greatest fear for companies is precisely this kind of uncertainty. To make matters worse, the US government recently announced plans to raise the H-1 specialty occupation visa fee to 100,000 dollars-a 100-fold increase.

President Trump has championed the revival of American manufacturing since before taking office. However, given America's lack of technical expertise, it ultimately has to rely on "foreign professionals." President Lee Jaemyung also emphasized the need to prevent a recurrence and called for the enactment of the "Korea Partnership Act," but in the end, the key lies with the US government and Congress. Korean companies have so far responded to the demands of the US government and engaged in good faith. Now, the United States must ensure these companies do not turn away. Otherwise, the chains used to detain workers may end up tightening around America's own neck, leading to a self-defeating contradiction.

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