South Korea sends plane to fetch detained workers from US

A chartered plane left Seoul for the United States Wednesday to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid, flag carrier Korean Air told AFP.

South Koreans made up the majority of 475 people arrested at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in the U.S. state of Georgia last week, according to immigration agents.

The operation was the largest single-site raid conducted under U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, according to an investigating agent.

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8I, which seats over 350 passengers, left Seoul Wednesday, a company representative told AFP.

While no official time has been given for the return flight, South Korean officials said Wednesday it had been delayed "due to circumstances on the U.S. side," without giving details.

Local media had reported it would leave Wednesday, U.S. time.

"We are maintaining close consultations with the U.S. authorities to secure the earliest possible departure," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who is now in Washington for talks on the issue, has called the mass detention of South Koreans a "grave situation" and pledging to secure the workers' swift return "in good health."

Before departing, Cho told South Korean MPs that "a tentative agreement" had been reached with U.S. authorities to ensure the detained workers would not face penalties, such as a five-year ban on re-entry.