Seoul, Sep 15 (IANS) The government is closely looking into whether any possible human rights violations took place during the raid and detention of Korean workers by US immigration authorities in Georgia, the Presidential Office said Monday.
A total of 316 South Koreans returned home Friday after a week in detention following a US immigration raid at an electric vehicle battery plant in Bryan County, following intense negotiations between Seoul and Washington.
Local media have since reported numerous firsthand accounts of the raid and detention, with many describing the detention facility as overcrowded, unsanitary and harsh.
The workers recounted cramped spaces, mold-covered mattresses, cold temperatures and limited access to basic hygiene, Yonhap News Agency reported. Several also described how they were shackled with chains around their waist, legs and wrists during the arrest, and treated roughly by immigration officers.
“I understand that the government is conducting a more thorough review with the companies to determine whether any human rights violations occurred,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press briefing.
“The foreign ministry is looking at whether our demands were properly addressed, and the companies are also conducting their own reviews, to check whether any measures were insufficient on either the Korean side or US side,” Kang said.
Seoul had stressed that the rights and dignity of South Korean citizens must not be unfairly violated, expressing strong regret to Washington over the incident.
“Some of our requests have been accepted, and there were improvements. However, we will continue to look into whether any issues or inconveniences for our citizens remain,” she added.
Hyundai and LG, the two South Korean companies whose joint venture site was raided last week, will collect the accounts from the workers on possible discrimination, mistreatment or rights violations, and share the outcome with the foreign ministry, a ministry official told reporters.
“A comprehensive fact-finding review will be carried out to check for possible human rights violations during the detention, and the issue will be raised with the US if needed,” the officials said.
South Korean consular officials said they received no specific complaints from the workers during meetings at the Folkston detention facility, noting that time was limited and the priority was securing their early release from the detention and departure from the US.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which carried out the raid, agreed to the consular access after Seoul’s strong protests, allowing the workers to make phone calls and get the medication they needed, the official said.
ICE also agreed to waive the requirement for the detained workers to sign documents admitting to unlawful stay, a condition normally needed for voluntary departure.
Through negotiations with Washington, Seoul secured assurances that workers on short-term B-1 visas, issued for meetings and contract signings, would not have their visas revoked, the official said.
–IANS
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