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Quotes of the Day:
“Mr. Bullen, when I serve my country as a soldier, I’m not going to serve her as a Democrat or as a Republican. I’m going to serve her as an American. To my last breath.”
– Sam Damon in Once an Eagle
"We are not enemies, but friends, We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely as they will be by the better angels of our nature. "
– Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, 1861
"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history."
– Aldous Huxley
1. Emboldened Kim Jong Un oversees test of powerful new North Korean rocket engine days after China visit
2. The China-Russia-North Korea alliance that needs no name
3. Trump Korean land grab: from maritime genius to continental folly
4. President expresses 'deep responsibility' for Koreans detained in US immigration raid
5. Hyundai Raid Exposes Shortage of Visas for Asian Companies Trying to Move Staff
6. ICE’s Raid on Korean Workers and Trump’s Clashing Priorities
7. Japan-South Korea Relations: Summit Signals Change in Direction
8. Outrage, confusion in South Korea after Georgia immigration raid
9. FM Cho to discuss detained S. Koreans in meeting with Rubio: Seoul officia
10. Korean Air plane to depart for U.S. to bring home detained Koreans
11. Nearly 6 in 10 S. Koreans disappointed in U.S. gov't over Georgia ICE raid
12. S. Korean delegation in U.S. for talks on details of tariff deal: officials
13. Defense chief, NATO military officer discuss defense, arms manufacturing cooperation
14. Belarusian president says 'ready' to visit Pyongyang in message to N. Korea's Kim
15. President Lee Jae-myung orders immediate halt to Philippine project amid corruption concerns
16. N. Korea’s elaborate memorial events for fallen soldiers spark claims of political theater
17. Cooperation with North Korea can expand South’s economy: Ruling party leader
18. In a First, Korean Women Target U.S. Military in Suit Over Prostitution
1. Emboldened Kim Jong Un oversees test of powerful new North Korean rocket engine days after China visit
I think we are going to have to adopt "Emboldened" as the new nickname for KJU.
Emboldened Kim Jong Un oversees test of powerful new North Korean rocket engine days after China visit | CNN
CNN · Brad Lendon, Nectar Gan · September 9, 2025
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches a test of a new rocket engine at an undisclosed location, North Korea, September 8, 2025.
KCNA/AP
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Seoul, South Korea —
Kim Jong Un on Monday watched a test of North Korea’s new high-thrust rocket engine, an event that sets the stage for Pyongyang to test its newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, which state media said last week would be powered by the new rocket.
The test comes less than a week after Kim traveled to Beijing for a massive military parade, where he shared the parade stand with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The visit likely left him emboldened to pursue his nuclear weapons program with increased vigor, having reinvigorated ties with his country’s longtime political and economic patron, China, while standing alongside the leader of his new military ally, Russia.
Monday’s test was the ninth and final one for the new engine, which is solid-fueled and made with carbon-fiber composite materials, according to a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Solid-fueled rockets are more stable, and can be moved more easily to avoid detection before a launch that can be initiated in a matter of minutes, experts say – compared with liquid-fueled missiles that may need hours before launch, giving time for adversaries to detect and neutralize the weapon.
The successful test of the engine “heralds a significant change in expanding and strengthening the nuclear strategic forces” of North Korea, the KCNA report said.
Kim had visited the factory where the rocket engine is made last week, before his trip to Beijing, and a KCNA report at the time said he discussed plans for “serial production” of the new rocket engine.
It would be used on the Hwasong-19 ICBM – which was successfully tested last October and exhibited a range to hit targets anywhere in the United States -– and the “next-generation” Hwasong-20, which has yet to fly, the KCNA report said.
That the rocket test came less than a week after Kim’s meeting with China’s Xi is seen as significant.
During their first summit in six years, Xi and Kim pledged to deepen strategic coordination and reaffirmed that their commitment to bilateral friendship will not waver.
And for the first time in a Xi-Kim meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not mentioned in China’s official readouts – a striking break from their five previous meetings.
Related article
YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025.
Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images
China’s military display shows it has the might to back up Xi’s vision of a new world order
The omission has raised concerns that China is quietly abandoning its long-stated goal of a nuclear-free peninsula and tacitly accepting North Korea’s nuclear status.
Kim’s illegal nuclear weapons program has transformed North Korea into the most heavily sanctioned state in the world.
However, Russia – and to a lesser extent China – have become less openly critical of that program in recent years as tensions with Western powers have risen.
Putin has been embracing North Korea as he taps Pyongyang for military hardware – including missiles – and troops to support his war on Ukraine.
Last year, Kim signed a mutual defense pact with Putin, as the two countries pledged to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event the other is attacked.
Experts said China’s apparent acceptance of North Korea’s nuclear status may be in reaction to the strong Putin-Kim ties.
Related article
A screen grab of a North Korean soldier, purportedly fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in a propaganda video released on August 31, 2025.
Korean Central News Agency
North Korea releases propaganda video praising its soldiers who fought for Russia
“Beijing is clearly uneasy about losing ground in Pyongyang as North Korea deepens ties with Russia,” said Shuxian Luo, an assistant professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii, Mānoa.
“This meeting looks like China’s bid to reassert itself as North Korea’s top patron, which in turn can bolster Beijing’s leverage in dealing with Washington.”
The news about the rocket test was published coinciding with North Korea’s 77th Day of the Foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, an anniversary around which Pyongyang has tested weapons in the past.
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CNN · Brad Lendon, Nectar Gan · September 9, 2025
2. The China-Russia-North Korea alliance that needs no name
A sober warning from Dr. Lee:
Excerpts:
The lack of a formal summit was not a bug; it was a feature. It aligns perfectly with Beijing’s foundational foreign policy principle of “non-alliance” since the early 1980s, to preserve strategic autonomy and avoid entrapment in the conflicts of others. This allows China to maintain maximum flexibility while signalling alignment.
The true strength of this triumvirate lies not in a public treaty, but in its functional, interlocking, and mutually reinforcing gains.
Observers who fixate on the absence of an official trilateral ceremony are missing the substance of a deeply functional partnership.
The China-Russia-North Korea alliance that needs no name | Lowy Institute
The West should not be blinded by what is plain to see.
lowyinstitute.org · Seong-Hyon Lee
The image of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un standing together at Tiananmen Square was a masterclass in political theatre, a chilling and unambiguous declaration for many in the West of a new anti-Western axis. Yet, some observers have pointed to the conspicuous absence of a formal trilateral summit as evidence of the bloc’s limits, suggesting Beijing remains reluctant to be locked into a rigid alliance with Moscow and Pyongyang.
This view, however, misdiagnoses the nature of the challenge. The truth is not that China is a reluctant partner, but that it is methodically building an alliance without a name. Beijing’s entire strategy is to avoid the formal trappings of an “alliance” with its rigid obligations, while reaping all the benefits of one through deniable, “grey zone” cooperation.
The lack of a formal summit was not a bug; it was a feature. It aligns perfectly with Beijing’s foundational foreign policy principle of “non-alliance” since the early 1980s, to preserve strategic autonomy and avoid entrapment in the conflicts of others. This allows China to maintain maximum flexibility while signalling alignment.
The true strength of this triumvirate lies not in a public treaty, but in its functional, interlocking, and mutually reinforcing gains.
Observers who fixate on the absence of an official trilateral ceremony are missing the substance of a deeply functional partnership.
The “reluctant dragon” narrative is seductive because it plays into the West’s hope that China remains a pragmatic actor that can be peeled away from its more volatile partners. But the evidence points to the contrary. Xi was not a passive host; he was the director of this entire production. A similar photo-op did not arise in Moscow in May when Kim did not attend the May parade, instead allowing Xi to stage the triumvirate’s formal debut in Beijing rather than on Putin’s home ground. Xi cemented his role as the undisputed architect of this new axis. His actions reveal a leader who is confident and in control, not one being taken advantage of.
The true strength of this triumvirate lies not in a public treaty, but in its functional, interlocking, and mutually reinforcing gains. It is a system designed for maximum effect with minimum accountability.
For Putin, the summit provided an immediate, existential victory. Standing beside Xi was a powerful antidote to Western narratives of his diplomatic isolation, conferring invaluable political legitimacy on the global stage. More concretely, the event solidified a critical military supply chain from North Korea, ensuring a continued flow of artillery shells and ballistic missiles for his war in Ukraine. Finally, by pulling North Korea deeper into the conflict, Putin successfully opens a second front of pressure on the United States in Northeast Asia, forcing Washington to divide its strategic attention and resources.
For Kim, the visit marked his triumphant graduation from isolated pariah to valued junior partner. This was the successful realisation of his “security from Russia, economy from China” strategy. By providing Russia with critical military assets, the shift from aid recipient to arms provider grants him unprecedented agency. In his bilateral meeting with Xi, he explicitly requested deeper economic cooperation, securing the lifeline that only Beijing can provide through the “livelihood” loophole in UN sanctions.
This new alignment renders his nuclear arsenal non-negotiable, turning the US policy of “denuclearisation” into an obsolete illusion. This reality was underscored by a subtle yet seismic shift during the visit: for the first time in years, Beijing’s official readouts conspicuously avoided any reference to the “denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”. The deliberate omission of long-standing diplomatic language amounts to a quiet but profound concession to Pyongyang.
While Putin secured a lifeline and Kim gained new status, the ultimate strategic gains belong to Xi’s China. The summit and parade were the public manifestation of a profound shift in China’s strategic posture: a deep “psychological decoupling” from the West. Beijing has concluded that strategic reconciliation with Washington is no longer a viable goal and is now actively pursuing a new world order. The triumvirate forms the hard-power nucleus of this new posture, a long-term strategy to expand influence by exploiting perceived American missteps. By endorsing Pyongyang’s closer ties with Moscow, Beijing shares the burden of managing the Kim regime, ensuring it remains a permanent security dilemma for the United States and its key Asian allies while providing political cover to accelerate its own “grey zone” cooperation.
The most dangerous mistake Washington and its allies could make is to misdiagnose the nature of this challenge. To fixate on the lack of a formal alliance is to prepare for the last war. The threat is not a new NATO versus Warsaw Pact, but a fluid, adaptable network that operates in the seams of international law, leveraging ambiguity and plausible deniability.
The Korean War serves as a powerful historical lesson, demonstrating how this same alignment of powers, when faced with a US-led bloc, coalesced into a devastating military coalition. The image from Beijing, therefore, should not be seen as a mere photograph, but as a sober reminder that a functional alliance does not require a formal name to be real, coherent, and profoundly dangerous.
lowyinstitute.org · Seong-Hyon Lee
3. Trump Korean land grab: from maritime genius to continental folly
I know I recommend that we learn to play Go (Baduk in Korea) but I am not sure I meant setting stones on actual territory in the region.
Of course one thing about owning the now prime real estate of Camp Humphreys is that the landlord could evict the current tenants and then further develop property for other use. (note my attempt at humor).
Trump Korean land grab: from maritime genius to continental folly - Asia Times
US strength in Asia has always been presence without ownership – his careless request for US bases’ land blurs that line
asiatimes.com · Hanjin Lew, Jio Lew · September 8, 2025
The August summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung produced little substance. Yet one remark stood out and echoed far beyond the meeting room. Trump mused aloud that the United States should own the land where nearly 28,500 American troops are stationed.
“We spent a lot of money building a fort, and there was a contribution made by South Korea, but I would like to see if we could get rid of the lease and get ownership of the land where we have a massive military base,” he said.
To many Koreans, long wary of US withdrawal, this sounded almost reassuring. It suggested permanence, not abandonment.
For a nation under the shadow of North Korea, with a colonial past under Japan and an uncertain future with China’s rise, permanence seemed better than the nightmare of sudden withdrawal.
But reassurance quickly fades. The ownership remark was more than careless rhetoric. It betrayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the US-South Korea alliance and risked undermining the very foundations of America’s role in Asia.
How bases actually work
Under the US-Republic of Korea Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Washington does not “lease” bases from Seoul. Nor does it pay rent. Seoul grants the US use rights for military purposes while sovereignty over the land remains fully with South Korea.
This model is not unique. Since World War II, from Germany to Japan, America has operated abroad not by owning territory but by being hosted by allies.
As the Congressional Research Service noted in 2024, “With certain limited exceptions, the United States does not typically maintain overseas bases without the agreement of the host nation.” That distinction matters – and it is the line Trump blurred.
The Philippines case offers a lesson in how that sort of relationship historically has worked: When US bases there came to be seen as symbols of occupation, domestic pressure forced their closure in 1991. America’s access was restored only after years of repairing the alliance and only on terms that respected Philippine sovereignty.
For Koreans, who endured Japanese colonial rule within living memory, the symbolism of US ownership would be likely to backfire. It would flip the alliance’s logic, turning the US from guarantor into occupier.
Most importantly, ownership would make the United States a landlord rather than a guest, recasting its role from maritime power to continental power – with grave implications.
Maritime versus continental power
Naval historian Sarah Paine draws a sharp line between maritime and continental powers.
Maritime power, she argues, is positive-sum because it creates wealth through trade, institutions and alliances. Continental power, by contrast, is negative-sum, relying on territorial conquest and destroying wealth in the process.
America’s genius has always been maritime. From the Pacific War to the Cold War, US power rested not on land grabs but on naval projection and a network of alliances. Consent, not coercion, built that foundation.
Ownership would flip that logic, inviting comparisons to the very continental powers America has opposed – China, Russia, even imperial Japan.
South Korea as a maritime partner
Island chain strategy. Map: ResearchGate
Seen in this light, South Korea is not just another host nation but a pivotal partner in America’s maritime posture.
Though not an island, it anchors the first island chain and serves as a maritime outpost of immense value.
General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, told an audience at the Land Forces Pacific symposium in 2025 to imagine rotating a map of the Korean Peninsula so the east is at the top.
“From a satellite image, the ROK looks like an island – or like a fixed aircraft carrier floating in the waters between Japan and mainland China,” he said.
Image: MBC
He added that the triangle linking South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines ties together US allies likely to be drawn into any Taiwan crisis. Forward presence in Korea, he stressed, is not just a tripwire but “a signaling instrument” of America’s commitment and will to fight alongside its ally.
The power of this vision lies precisely in being a presence by invitation – proof that America stands with Korea as a partner, not a proprietor.
Strategic consequences
The free world rests on respect for sovereignty. That path is harder than the shortcuts of dictators, but it is this mutual respect that made the United States great – and accepted as leader of the free world.
That is why careless talk of “ownership” is so corrosive. It blurs the very principle that set America apart.
And while Washington muddies its message, Beijing pushes ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative, binding neighbors to its orbit by land and sea. This is continental ambition fused with maritime expansion.
America’s answer must be the opposite. Its strength has always been presence without ownership – alliances, not colonies; consent, not coercion.
Anchoring the first island chain, South Korea is central to that posture. Reassurance comes not from talk of ownership but from America standing with Seoul as a partner. That is how the US-ROK alliance endures – and how the free world keeps adversaries in check.
Hanjin Lew is a political commentator specializing in East Asian affairs. Jio Lew contributed research for this article.
asiatimes.com · Hanjin Lew, Jio Lew · September 8, 2025
4. President expresses 'deep responsibility' for Koreans detained in US immigration raid
Not some you hear very often from Presidents.
President expresses 'deep responsibility' for Koreans detained in US immigration raid - The Korea Times
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
Detainees are seen at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Folkston, Ga., where around 300 Koreans arrested at Hyundai-LG Energy Solution's battery plant construction site are being held, Monday (local time). Yonhap
By Lee Hyo-jin
- Published Sep 9, 2025 11:50 am KST
- Updated Sep 9, 2025 8:15 pm KST
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
By Lee Hyo-jin
Published Sep 9, 2025 11:50 am KST
Updated Sep 9, 2025 8:15 pm KST
Seoul to send chartered plane Wednesday morning to bring back Koreans detained in Georgia
President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that he felt a deep responsibility for the detention of hundreds of Korean workers in a U.S. immigration raid, emphasizing that the activities of those contributing to Seoul-Washington cooperation should not be obstructed unfairly.
"I feel a deep responsibility as the president who bears the full responsiblity for the satefy of the people," Lee said during a Cabinet meeting, referring to those held by U.S. immigration authorities.
"We must ensure that the activities of our citizens and companies in advancing the Korea-U.S. alliance are not hindered unjustly," he said, pledging to work closely with Washington to prevent further incidents and to seek reasonable improvements in U.S. visa rules.
Lee also ordered relevant ministries to closely manage the situation until all the Korean detainees return home safely.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
The president's remarks came as a chartered Korean Air flight was set to depart for Atlanta at 11 a.m. Wednesday to bring home the detained Korean nationals.
More than 300 Koreans are being held at a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, following a massive raid on Thursday (local time) at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site near Savannah operated by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Korean companies involved, is arranging the chartered flight, with the companies covering the cost.
Industry officials said plans for a Korean Air Boeing 747-8i flight from Incheon International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are finalized, with details still being coordinated with the government.
The foreign ministry said the plane will depart the U.S. on Wednesday (local time) to head for Korea, but it did not specify how many passengers will be on board.
"We are still confirming the intentions of each individual on returning home. The final tally of passengers will be determined later," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
Korean authorities are also coordinating transportation from the Folkston detention center to Hartsfield-Jackson airport.
A task force led by Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, has been meeting with the detained workers, most of whom say they wish to return home.
The ministry said the Koreans would leave the United States through “voluntary departure,” a process that allows immigration detainees to leave on their own volition and often spares them a formal deportation order. But some legal experts noted that such departures can amount to a tacit admission of wrongdoing and could jeopardize the workers’ chances of reentering the country in the future.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Monday that most of the detained Koreans were being "deported" for ignoring prior removal orders.
Seoul's foreign ministry declined to comment on Noem's description of the departures as deportations, saying the operation is proceeding under the framework of “voluntary departure.”
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Monday, as he departs to Washington for negotiations with U.S. officials on finalizing the return of the detained Korean workers in Georgia. Yonhap
Amid these developments, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arrived in Washington on Monday night (local time) to negotiate with U.S. officials on finalizing the return of the detained workers.
He is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and request measures to minimize any disadvantages for the soon-to-be released Koreans who may seek reentry to the U.S. in the future.
Cho may also raise concerns about the shortage of work visas for Koreans, which has been cited as a root cause of the unprecedented immigration raid.
Most of the detained workers had entered the U.S. on short-term business visas or through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is typically used for brief visits. Korean companies seeking to send supervisors to factory construction sites must apply for H-1B visas, which are capped at 85,000 per year worldwide and allocated by lottery.
5. Hyundai Raid Exposes Shortage of Visas for Asian Companies Trying to Move Staff
Apparently according to a business official from Korea, Korea asked for 30,000 B1 visas to train American workers in advanced technology but US immigration policy makers denied the request. Is anti-immigration the dominant overriding US policy and is foreign direct investment, return of manufacturing jobs to the US, and US national security/alliance considerations only of secondary consideration?
Also, after spending the day yesterday with some Korean colleagues (and after hearing their personal tales of being interrogated by US immigration officials) they told me what has impacted Korea the most about this entire incident is the video of Korean people released by ICE that shows their citizens shackled at the wrist, waist, and ankles. It is the treatment that was inflicted on these citizens that will have a lasting impact on the alliance and Korean views on America.
It is really a shame because traveling through Korean customs and immigration is so simple and efficient and we are always treated with respect.
Hyundai Raid Exposes Shortage of Visas for Asian Companies Trying to Move Staff
Immigration raid at a plant in Georgia points to difficulty getting permits for workers with specialized skills
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/hyundai-raid-exposes-shortage-of-visas-for-asian-companies-trying-to-move-staff-be88433c
By Jiyoung Sohn
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in Seoul and Yang Jie
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in Tokyo
Updated Sept. 9, 2025 3:52 am ET
A Hyundai site in Georgia where U.S. authorities carried out an immigration raid last week. Photo: Parker Puls/Bloomberg News
Quick Summary
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Asian companies face work visa challenges for specialists needed to run U.S. factories, hindering investment.View more
The Trump administration wants tougher immigration enforcement. It also wants Asian manufacturing powerhouses to pour investment into U.S. factories.
Those goals are now clashing because Asian companies are having trouble getting enough work visas for personnel needed to get the U.S. plants running, say immigration specialists.
Last week, the contradiction was highlighted when the U.S. carried out an immigration raid in Georgia and arrested some 300 South Koreans helping to build a Hyundai Motor 005380 0.23%increase; green up pointing triangle joint-venture battery plant.
Now the South Koreans are expected to head home soon under a diplomatic deal, and experts say it might take longer and cost more for Asian companies to build their U.S. factories without the specialists they need.
President Trump hinted at such concerns when he wrote on social media that his administration “will make it quickly and legally possible” for foreign investors “to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent to build World Class products.”
One cause of the issue is America’s shortage of skilled technical workers, which stems from a long-term decline in manufacturing employment and the offshoring of production. The U.S. lacks the workforce needed to support advanced industries such as semiconductors and biotechnology, according to a July report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
In semiconductors alone, an estimated 67,000 technical jobs are at risk of remaining unfilled by 2030 unless the workforce pipeline is expanded, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Asian companies—mostly from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan—are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. manufacturing at the urging of both the Biden and Trump administrations.
The detention of South Korean workers at the Hyundai “Metaplant” site in Georgia unfolded as Seoul and Washington were finalizing a trade deal in which South Korea agreed to $350 billion in U.S. investments. In exchange, the U.S. said most South Korean exports to the U.S., including cars, would be subject to a 15% tariff instead of an earlier proposed rate of 25%.
A production line at the Hyundai facility. Photo: Anna Ottum for WSJ
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday he would work closely with the U.S. to prevent cases like the one in Georgia from recurring. “I hope that there will never again be any unjust infringement on the activities of our people and companies,” he said.
Companies say they are willing to hire and train an American workforce but can’t meet tight deadlines to get their plants running with Americans alone.
That is why it is common for hundreds of employees from the home country to descend on big project sites. Companies such as Hyundai and its battery-making partner, LG Energy Solution, often bring along the same contractors they work with at home. Around 250 of the roughly 300 South Koreans arrested worked for contractors, LG Energy said. Japan said Tuesday that three of its citizens working at the site were also detained.
The detainees largely held temporary visas suitable for short-term training and supervising purposes, such as the B-1 visa, and many were working at the site as instructors, according to South Korean officials. Some had arrived in the U.S. through a visa-waiver program that allows entry for up to 60 days for travel and certain limited business activities, they said.
Don Southerton, a consultant who has advised South Korean companies including Hyundai on operating in the U.S., said some Korean firms and their contractors in the past used visa-waiver programs for short-term travel or business visits without triggering scrutiny.
“I don’t think they ever had to worry about it,” he said. “And there has been so much encouragement for these plants to be” in the U.S., he said.
U.S. authorities said those arrested illegally crossed the border, entered through a visa waiver program that prohibited them from working or overstayed their visas.
Hyundai said it was reviewing its processes to ensure that its partners “maintain the high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves.”
Other nonimmigrant employment visa types allow companies to bring in workers for longer periods, but they aren’t easy to get.
The H-1B visa lets companies operating in the U.S. hire foreign workers in specialty jobs such as tech and engineering. The annual cap recently has been under 100,000 visas.
The E-2 visa is designed for specialized workers at U.S. units of companies from regions with commerce treaties with the U.S., a category that includes Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Approval standards have been getting tougher as applications surge in South Korea, whose firms are overseeing many large projects in the U.S., said Hong Chang-hwan, a lawyer at Seoul-based firm Kookmin Emigration who specializes in U.S. immigration matters.
“The U.S. might say such workers can be hired locally, but Korean firms say such talent is difficult to find and deploy quickly in a plant that you’re trying to get going on schedule,” he said.
In 2023, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing sought to bring in some 500 experienced workers to accelerate construction, igniting a protest by Arizona’s construction unions. TSMC said the workers were there only for short-term support, with no impact on local hiring.
South Korea’s trade and industry minister said last year that visa challenges have made it hard for many South Korean conglomerates to dispatch workers to the U.S. and increase investments there.
In July, Rep. Young Kim (R., Calif.) and others introduced a bill that would allot 15,000 visas for South Koreans with specialized education or expertise. The bill, proposed in varying versions over the past decade, hasn’t moved forward.
Similar visa categories have been created for countries such as Australia and Singapore through free-trade agreements. The U.S. grants more than 10,000 E-3 visas annually to Australian nationals in specialized fields, enabling them to work for up to two years in the U.S., renewable indefinitely.
Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator who is now at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said South Korea pushed hard for special visas like those granted to Australia and Singapore when it negotiated its own free-trade deal with the U.S., which took effect in 2012. Seoul ultimately didn’t get them, although it did get included in the visa-waiver program.
With investment a U.S. priority, “a longer-term solution is urgently needed,” Cutler said.
Write to Jiyoung Sohn at jiyoung.sohn@wsj.com and Yang Jie at jie.yang@wsj.com
Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the September 9, 2025, print edition as 'Hyundai Raid Bares Shortage Of Technical Skills in the U.S.'.
6. ICE’s Raid on Korean Workers and Trump’s Clashing Priorities
Clashing priorities. We cannot "make America great again" without a well functioning legal immigration process. We need good sound legal immigration policies and not anti-immigration policies.
ICE’s Raid on Korean Workers and Trump’s Clashing Priorities
TIME · Miranda Jeyaretnam
The Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown could be bad for business, experts tell TIME.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 475 people on Thursday in Ellabell, Ga., in what U.S. officials said is the largest single-site immigration raid. More than 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals working at the factory, which is co-owned by South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution and auto company Hyundai. South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said on Sunday that the Trump Administration has agreed to release the Korean nationals who could return home on a chartered flight as soon as Wednesday.
Responding to the incident, President Donald Trump seemed eager to strike a balance between the seemingly competing interests of attracting foreign investors while driving out undocumented immigrants.
“I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws. Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday evening. “What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”
But experts say that the raid could already be costing the U.S. foreign investment.
“It certainly has dampened the investment sentiments and raised concerns among Korean firms on how to approach direct investment in the USA,” Ryu Yongwook, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore specializing in East Asian international relations, tells TIME.
The detentions have inflamed tensions between the American and Korean governments, especially as the raid came less than two weeks after South Korean firms pledged to invest billions of dollars in the U.S. as part of a U.S.-South Korea trade deal. South Korean lawmaker Oh Gi-hyoung said at a news conference on Sunday that if the U.S. expects to attract investment from South Korean companies, it should treat South Korean nationals with respect.
The U.S. accounts for the largest share of South Korea’s investments abroad, according to the country’s Finance Ministry.
“The Trump Administration is asking South Korea to do more for the USA, especially in inculcating U.S. manufacturing, and it simultaneously cracks down on Korean firms that are making major investments in the USA,” Ryu says. “It makes little sense and hurts U.S. interests.”
Georgia plant construction delayed
The battery plant where the ICE raid took place last week is part of a gigafactory complex spread out across nearly 3,000 acres that is expected to produce thousands of jobs once completed. Georgia has been at the core of the U.S.’s green energy boom in recent years, as overseas firms have rushed to take advantage of Biden-era government subsidies. Last week, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who has pushed for foreign green energy investments, announced that another Korean firm, biotechnology company JS Link, would build a magnet manufacturing facility in the state, creating over 500 new jobs.
An American flag flies above a piece of heavy machinery at Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Ga., on Sept. 5, 2025. Russ Bynum—AP
Across the country, some of Korea’s biggest companies have invested in huge projects propped up by federal subsidies as part of former President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which has largely benefited red states even as Republican lawmakers and the Trump Administration have sought to repeal or undermine parts of it. Last month, Hyundai committed to increase its direct investment in the U.S. from $21 billion to $26 billion by 2028, while South Korea announced a $150 billion project to aid the U.S.’s shipbuilding industry as part of a broader $350 billion investment package.
The raid, though, will likely slow down the timeline for the plant to be completed—and for Hyundai to ramp up U.S. manufacturing more broadly. Construction has been temporarily suspended and will likely be delayed further in order to hire new staff. LG Energy said it was halting business travel for its employees to the U.S. and advised its employees in the U.S. to return to South Korea. The company said that 47 of its employees had been detained, 46 of whom are South Korean, while Hyundai said none of its employees were among those detained but that it is vetting the employment practices of its suppliers and subcontractors.
The delay “will have a detrimental effect to the local economy in Georgia,” Ryu says.
Barry Zeigler, the business manager of UA Local Union 188, which represents plumbers, pipe-fitters, welders, and air-conditioning technicians, told the New York Times that the plant was meant to create jobs for locals, but dozens of union members had been let go earlier this month. Trump has, as recently as Sunday, called on foreign companies to employ more Americans.
But some say there aren’t enough Americans who can fulfill those jobs, at least without adding to operational costs or requiring more time. “The reality is right now that there’s a work force shortage for construction labor pretty much nationally,” Didi Caldwell, the chief executive of Global Location Strategies, told the Times.
“The U.S. is demanding investments from South Korea but is asking us to use Americans only to construct factories there. In reality, that is just impossible,” Chang Sang-sik, head of the Korea International Trade Association’s International Trade and Commerce Research Center, told Bloomberg. “They need local technicians during the construction period.”
Aggressive immigration policies clash with goal for foreign investment
The demand for construction workers has clashed with the Trump Administration’s crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. Georgia state officials have embraced the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration priorities. The U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Georgia said the raid was part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide campaign to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration.”
“In Georgia, we will always enforce the law, including all state and federal immigration laws,” Kemp’s office said in a statement. “All companies operating within the state must follow the laws of Georgia and our nation.”
But the detentions have already spooked foreign investors.
“Talking to my friends last night, I had one guy say, ‘We’re getting mixed messages from the Administration: You want our money, but you don’t want us,’” Tami Overby, an international business consultant who formerly led the U.S.-Korea Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told the Times. “It had a chilling impact all across board rooms in Asia.”
The Trump Administration has also tightened legal avenues to work in the U.S., including introducing stricter rules for H-1B visas.
“In principle, Korean companies have violated the U.S. immigration law, so they don’t have reason to complain,” Ryu says, but he notes that the application process for H-1B is almost prohibitively time-consuming and costly.
“South Korean companies are reluctant to go that route because it takes at least 8 months of lead time before you can begin working on an H-1B, and there is no guarantee you will get it,” Chun Jong-joon, a Korean American immigration lawyer, told the Los Angeles Times. There are also quotas set per country for H-1B visas, and the visa is awarded by an annual lottery.
What some Korean companies end up doing instead is using 90-day tourist visa waivers, which do not allow for work, to bring Korean nationals into the U.S. for up to three months and rotate them until construction is completed, Ryu says. It was a “known practice,” he adds, claiming that the U.S. generally “didn’t pay much attention,” since American workers and the U.S. economy ultimately benefitted from the speedy construction of these projects.
Since Korean firms have committed to increase their direct investments in the U.S., the U.S. government should in turn raise the H-1B quota for South Koreans and improve the process to legally work in the U.S., Ryu says.
Unless the U.S. fixes its persistent visa issues, Ryu says the Trump Administration’s immigration policies will make the country unfriendly for business. It’s a clash in interests he’s seen happen elsewhere—with Trump’s tariffs.
“The U.S. is now losing competitiveness in chip fabrication, especially in the foundry,” Ryu says. “Given how strategic and critical chips are, especially in the context of the U.S.-China strategic rivalry, the U.S. needs its allies such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, to assist the U.S. in this regard. And yet, Trump has threatened these allies with chip tariffs and even contemplated taking a partial ownership of foreign fabrication firms.”
The plant “benefited the local economy in Georgia, as the speedy construction of the Hyundai factory would expedite the hiring of locals once the factory is constructed,” Ryu says. The reaction in South Korea has been that the “heavy-handed arrest … was unnecessary and unreasonable,” he adds.
“Trump’s immigration policies and push for bigger foreign investment do not have to be incompatible,” says Ryu. “But for them not to be incompatible, the U.S. government must produce and apply a fine-tuned immigration policy that eases the process of foreign direct investment.”
TIME · Miranda Jeyaretnam
7. Japan-South Korea Relations: Summit Signals Change in Direction
Excerpts:
Japan-South Korea relations can only become more crucial for both countries, as the neighbors must at times coordinate and cooperate on issues such as managing their alliances with the United States, responding to U.S.-China tensions, and coordinating North Korea policy. Moreover, coordination and cooperation between Japan and South Korea can serve as a public good, not only for the two countries but also for the region as a whole.
The bilateral relationship is an important one, and managing it effectively requires building a dense relationship equipped with strong problem-solving capabilities, and establishing an understanding of the importance of Japan-South Korean relations that can survive changes in government. This most recent summit signals that both governments have reaffirmed their intentions and strategies. Now they must move forward with negotiations to issue a new joint declaration that will build on the Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration of 1998 to accommodate issues such as U.S.-China tensions and the North Korean nuclear issue and the new strategic environment that has consequently emerged.
Japan-South Korea Relations: Summit Signals Change in Direction
The neighbors now appear ready to work together again, even in response to U.S. policies.
https://thediplomat.com/2025/09/japan-south-korea-relations-summit-signals-change-in-direction/
By KIMIYA Tadashi
September 09, 2025
Credit: ROK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Lee jeong woo
On August 23, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited Japan for a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, which produced the first joint press release by leaders of the two neighbors in 17 years. The next day, Lee went to the United States to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, before returning to South Korea on August 28.
In visiting Japan for a summit meeting before traveling to the United States, Lee showed observers both inside and outside Korea the degree to which he is prioritizing South Korea’s relationship with Japan. Moreover, on the question of historical issues, including the intergovernmental agreement on the comfort women issue and the third-party reimbursements for the former civilian workers from the Korean Peninsula, Lee has stated that he will uphold agreements between Japan and South Korea entered into by the past conservative administrations of Park Geun-hye and Yoon Suk-yeol, and in doing has assuaged Japanese concerns about the progressive administration of Lee Jae-myung being “anti-Japanese.”
Recent relations between Japan and South Korea deteriorated most sharply between 2018 and 2020, when Abe Shinzo was in power in Japan and Moon Jae-in was president of South Korea. A contributing factor was the failure of the first Trump administration to play a mediating role; Washington at the time was focused on American interests and not on encouraging cooperation among its Asian allies. In fact, the main axes have always been the U.S.-Japan and the U.S.-South Korea alliances, with Japan-South Korea relations only secondary. Under this system, the United States would mediate between Japan and South Korea, in their squabbles over historical issues.
In August 2023, Japan, the United States, and South Korea established the Camp David Principles and the Spirit of Camp David. This partly owed to the inauguration of the conservative Yoon administration, which actively sought Japan-U.S.-South Korea cooperation, and prompted expectations that trilateral security cooperation would become more institutionalized. Yet Yoon was ousted as president after his illegal declaration of martial law, and with the incoming government of Lee Jae-myung the outlook for trilateral relations was once again unclear. However, Lee has quickly dispelled concerns and emphasized continuity in trilateral relations.
All of which meant that Trump’s remarks at the U.S.-South Korea summit that he was concerned about Japan-South Korea relations because of historical issues were unexpected. Lee replied that his Japan in advance of the summit with the U.S. “sorted out the issues” so the U.S. president need not worry. The exchange suggests that not only will Japan-South Korea relations not assume their conventional structure with Washington as mediator, but that at least for the duration of this second Trump administration, on some issues we may even see Japan and South Korea cooperating in response to the United States.
For instance, coordination and cooperation between Japan and South Korea on shared issues will inevitably become more likely in the context of negotiations with the United States. Examples include responding to Trump’s tariff policy, modernizing the alliance to give it the strategic flexibility to deal with China and encompass more defense spending, and holding discussions on ways to meet the costs of American military bases. As for the growing tensions between the U.S. and China, Lee said in a Q&A after one of his speeches at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that South Korea has no choice but to choose a China policy within the framework of U.S. economic security, because the previous “Ahn Mi-kyung-joong” route – which means cooperating with the U.S. on security and with China in the economic realm – is no longer viable. This signaled a departure from the Moon Jae-in administration’s “strategic ambiguity,” which was meant to avoid a situation where South Korea had to choose between the United States and China. Amid rising U.S.-China tensions, Japan and South Korea have no choice but to prioritize cooperation with the United States, while trying not to become too embroiled in the conflict.
That’s not all. At their summit, Japan and South Korea agreed to cooperate on North Korea. In his own meeting with Lee, meanwhile, Trump showed considerable interest in a summit with North Korea, interest that was welcomed by Lee, who said, “If you, Mr. President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker.” Given how reliant North Korea remains on the Russia-China-North Korea framework and its staunch opposition to denuclearization talks, it is unclear whether relations can improve to the extent expected by Trump. Still, Lee has proposed a “three-step denuclearization plan” called “freeze, reduction, complete denuclearization” for the North Korean nuclear issue, which is a more realistic policy than before. The hope is that improvements in Washington’s relations with Pyongyang will lead to a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations. Observers might wonder how Japan will respond to this, as Tokyo maintains a hardline stance against North Korea over the abduction issue and given that Ishiba’s resignation this week means a change of government in Japan.
Japan-South Korea relations can only become more crucial for both countries, as the neighbors must at times coordinate and cooperate on issues such as managing their alliances with the United States, responding to U.S.-China tensions, and coordinating North Korea policy. Moreover, coordination and cooperation between Japan and South Korea can serve as a public good, not only for the two countries but also for the region as a whole.
The bilateral relationship is an important one, and managing it effectively requires building a dense relationship equipped with strong problem-solving capabilities, and establishing an understanding of the importance of Japan-South Korean relations that can survive changes in government. This most recent summit signals that both governments have reaffirmed their intentions and strategies. Now they must move forward with negotiations to issue a new joint declaration that will build on the Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration of 1998 to accommodate issues such as U.S.-China tensions and the North Korean nuclear issue and the new strategic environment that has consequently emerged.
KIMIYA Tadashi is a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.
Authors
Guest Author
KIMIYA Tadashi
KIMIYA Tadashi is a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.
8. Outrage, confusion in South Korea after Georgia immigration raid
Seeing their fellow citizens shackled at the wrist, waist, and ankles has created a lot of blowback among Koreas.
Outrage, confusion in South Korea after Georgia immigration raid
South Korea pledged to invest $350 billion in the U.S. in a trade deal. Now the country is reeling at actions many see as counter to the spirit of the alliance.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/08/south-korea-us-immigration-raid-tensions/
September 8, 2025 at 7:38 a.m. EDTYesterday at 7:38 a.m. EDT
After raid, Trump says foreign firms should train Americans
0:55
In the aftermath of the Hyundai raid in Georgia, President Donald Trump said Sept. 7 that he would look into allowing foreign companies to train Americans. (Video: AP)
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee
SEOUL — The large-scale immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG battery factory in Georgia has sent shock waves across South Korea, a U.S. security ally that has this year pledged to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States and is now balking at what many here view as the Trump administration’s bad-faith actions.
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Opposition lawmakers, former government officials and newspapers across the ideological spectrum are expressing outrage at the raid in which more than 300 South Korean nationals were arrested, calling the U.S. administration “unusual,” “impulsive” and “contradictory.”
“I’m really speechless and furious,” said Choi Jong Kun, a former vice foreign minister. “We spend a lot of money in the United States and we get slapped in the face.”
The arrest of 475 workers last week at the plant in Ellabell, Georgia, was the largest worksite enforcement operation to take place so far in President Donald Trump’s second term.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Monday. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun was scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday amid fallout from the raid on Thursday. The Foreign Ministry said Cho would work toward the “voluntary departure,” rather than deportation, of all South Korean citizens so that they can be repatriated on chartered flights as soon as possible. The employees are expected to return to South Korea as early as this week.
But there is broader alarm here about what the actions mean for South Korean companies that have invested in the U.S., drawn in large part by Washington’s efforts to boost economic cooperation between the two nations as a strategy to counter China’s growing economic dominance.
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And there is frustration at “America First” sentiments that say South Korean companies are taking part in a “bait-and-switch,” promising jobs for Americans but illegally hiring their own nationals instead — an allegation made by Tori Branum, a Georgia Republican running for Congress in 2026.
South Korean media has focused on Branum, who describes herself as an “America First” candidate. She claims to have tipped off immigration authorities about the battery plant and talked to an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement about her concerns over the legal status and treatment of workers there.
“Her justification of ‘protecting American jobs’ rings hollow when her actions sabotage Georgia’s long-term prosperity,” wrote one South Korean business publication, CEO News, saying Branum was using the issue to gain a political advantage in her campaign.
Some analysts, using a shorthand for Trump’s base that rallies around his “Make America Great Again” slogan, or MAGA, said they are concerned that his base may be fomenting negative attitudes toward South Korea.
“Looking at the behavior of the MAGA camp and its politicians, it’s clear that … the United States has changed dramatically,” Kim Jong-dae, a former lawmaker, said in a radio interview Monday. “This is a deeply worrying trend within the MAGA camp — not only leading to a crackdown on South Korean workers, but also in fact fostering antipathy toward South Korea.”
A Homeland Security Investigations police officer during an operation Thursday in Ellabell, Georgia. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/AFP/Getty Images)
South Korean companies such as Hyundai and LG, which jointly operate the plant in Georgia, ramped up their investments in the U.S. under President Joe Biden’s administration, which offered incentives for semiconductor and electrical vehicle production.
Then, as part of a recently agreed trade deal with the Trump administration, South Korea agreed to invest $350 billion in the U.S. to help revitalize American manufacturing — which Trump has welcomed with open arms. In March, Trump called Hyundai’s investments in the U.S. — including the Georgia project — “beautiful.”
But the images of South Korean workers shackled during the raid say otherwise, their compatriots say.
“We are there to help boost up American industries … and once they are set up, there will be good infrastructure for increasing American employment,” said Choi, the former vice foreign minister. “But what we saw was those Koreans chained with handcuffs and treated as if they were terrorists or a bunch of thugs.”
The raid comes during a rocky period between Washington and Seoul, during which Trump eventually settled on a 15 percent blanket tariff for South Korea in response to its $66 billion trade deficit with the U.S.
But tensions seemed to be easing last month, when South Korea’s left-leaning president, Lee Jae Myung, held a chummy summit with Trump in Washington, the two of them touting cooperation and the strength of the bilateral relationship.
So the raid came as a rude awakening. South Korean politicians and media outlets did not mince their words, criticizing the immigration raid as politically targeted against South Korea, perhaps for Trump to gain an edge among his supporters.
“Why should the world watch South Koreans who go overseas for work get dragged off in handcuffs and with shackles on their hands and feet?” conservative lawmaker Shin Dong-wook said Monday, amid broader claims that the country’s businesses were “gripped by fear” after the raid.
Chosun Ilbo, South Korea’s largest daily newspaper, raised concerns about what the raid would mean for future investments.
“Why target South Korean factories when Taiwan and others are also building plants in the U.S.?” the conservative paper wrote in an editorial Monday. “[Seoul] should convey domestic concerns — such as, ‘Should we continue investing in the U.S.?’ — to U.S. authorities and demand strong guarantees to prevent recurrence.”
Hankyoreh, a left-leaning news outlet, on Monday criticized Washington for damaging ties between the two allies.
“The U.S.’ double-dealing behavior of demanding massive infusions of capital from Korea, only to use immigration raids to intimidate the companies making these investments, is extremely regrettable,” Hankyoreh wrote.
0:43
South Korean workers detained in a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai factory in Georgia on Sept. 4 will be released and flown home. (Video: Joy Sung, Neeti Upadhye/The Washington Post)
Steven Schrank, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said in a news briefing Friday that some of the workers had entered the country illegally, some were working in violation of their visas and some had overstayed their visas. He said the arrests were part of an ongoing, months-long investigation.
South Korean politicians and corporate leaders are calling for clearer visa guidelines from Washington.
It is unclear what type of visa the detained workers used. But for more than a year, South Korean businesses have faced challenges navigating the U.S. visa process given the cap on specialized work visas, such as the H-1B, and they have used other short-term visas that left the workers in a “gray zone,” said James Kim, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.
That meant engineers helping establish plants like the Hyundai-LG factory would enter on a visa waiver called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or on a B-1 business visa. Both allow visitors to carry out certain business activities, like attending conferences or business meetings, but they are not intended for paid employment in the U.S.
“When you are sending people for factories involving semiconductors or electric batteries, you need people on the floor who know what they’re doing. And because this is still relatively a new industry, it’s not that easy finding those people,” Kim said.
That practice became the norm — particularly for subcontractors, who don’t have the same resources as major conglomerates to navigate visa issues. It wasn’t an issue under the Biden administration, which did not have the same focus on immigration enforcement as Trump, Kim said. But the tide has now turned.
The latest incident is a “hiccup” in the decades-long relationship between the two nations, but it’s an opportunity to clarify uncertainties around these visa issues, especially for the companies that want to continue to invest in the U.S., Kim said.
So Jin Jung contributed to this report.
What readers are saying
The comments reflect significant criticism of the Trump administration's handling of the immigration raid on South Korean workers, highlighting concerns about its impact on U.S.-South Korea relations and foreign investment. Many commenters argue that the raid was unnecessarily... Show more
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By Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Michelle Ye Hee Lee is The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief, covering Japan and the Korean peninsula. follow on X@myhlee
9. FM Cho to discuss detained S. Koreans in meeting with Rubio: Seoul official
FM Cho to discuss detained S. Koreans in meeting with Rubio: Seoul official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · September 9, 2025
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington for talks expected to focus on some 300 S. Koreans detained in Georgia following a major immigration raid by U.S. authorities, a Seoul official said Tuesday.
Cho plans to meet with his U.S. counterpart on Tuesday (U.S. time), as the South Korean nationals remain in custody at a detention center in Folkston after being arrested in Thursday's crackdown at a South Korean joint electric vehicle plant construction site in Bryan County, near Savannah.
Cho flew to Washington on Monday to resolve the issue, as Seoul has been preparing a chartered flight to bring the detained citizens back home this week.
"We cannot say specifically at this stage what the minister will discuss with Secretary Rubio," a ministry official said. "But what we can say is that we are primarily focused on resolving the issue of our nationals in detention and ensuring their safe return home."
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a photo during their talks in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 22, 2025, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Talks are also under way with Washington to arrange meetings between Cho and U.S. officials from federal government agencies responsible for immigration policy and enforcement, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the official said.
If held, Cho is expected to request their cooperation to ensure that the detained South Koreans will be able to leave the U.S. in the form of voluntary departure, instead of deportation, and that they will not face disadvantages in their future entries to the U.S.
Cho is also expected to use his meetings to discuss ways to revise the U.S. visa policy for South Korean workers, such as creating a new work visa program or increasing visa quotas to allow smoother business operations for companies investing in the U.S.
Industry sources said Korean Air has arranged a Boeing 747-8i to depart for Atlanta as early as Wednesday (Seoul time) to bring the citizens home.
Of the detained people, those with foreign nationalities are also likely to board the same flight.
As for the expected departure time of the chartered flight, the government is "fine-tuning" details to allow it to leave Atlanta on Thursday (local time), the ministry official said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · September 9, 2025
10. Korean Air plane to depart for U.S. to bring home detained Koreans
(2nd LD) Korean Air plane to depart for U.S. to bring home detained Koreans | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Chang Dong-woo · September 9, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 6-7)
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- A chartered Korean Air Co. plane will depart for the United States this week to bring home hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a sweeping immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution Ltd. battery plant construction site in Georgia, industry sources said Tuesday.
According to the sources, Korean Air is preparing to deploy a Boeing 747-8i aircraft as early as Wednesday from Incheon International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The aircraft, which has a total of 368 seats, will be able to accommodate the more than 300 South Koreans who were taken into custody.
The charter plane will travel empty to the U.S. and is expected to depart Atlanta late Wednesday (local time) at the earliest, carrying the released workers back to Incheon.
This file photo, taken April 18, 2022, shows a Boeing 747-8i aircraft of Korean Air Co. (Yonhap)
The South Koreans will be transported from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, located about 428 kilometers from Atlanta.
The return flight was initially considered to depart from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida, about a 50-minute drive from the detention facility, but the plan was scrapped due to difficulties of operating large aircraft at the airport. Atlanta was instead chosen as the final departure point.
Industry sources estimated the round-trip charter operation would cost around 1 billion won (US$7.21 million), with LG Energy Solution planning to cover the costs.
The crackdown took place Thursday at a construction site for an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant being built by a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution Ltd. joint venture in Bryan County, near Savannah, Georgia.
The immigration raid at the site resulted in the arrest of 475 people, including the Korean workers. ICE said those arrested were found to be working illegally in the U.S., with many of them on short-term or recreational visas that prohibit them from working.
South Korea has been seeking to bring the Korean workers back home, with them voluntarily leaving the U.S. rather than facing deportation. U.S. immigration authorities were known to have initially offered two options -- immediate deportation and restrictions on their entry into the U.S. for five years or a monthslong trial under detention.
The incident has caused serious concerns among South Korean companies, with many casting doubts over whether the U.S. remains a reliable destination for South Korean investments, reportedly forcing many companies here to reassess risks and the broader political climate for doing business in America.
This image from a video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and released by the Associated Press shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2025. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Chang Dong-woo · September 9, 2025
11. Nearly 6 in 10 S. Koreans disappointed in U.S. gov't over Georgia ICE raid
The blowback is coming for us.
Nearly 6 in 10 S. Koreans disappointed in U.S. gov't over Georgia ICE raid | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 9, 2025
By Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- About 60 percent of South Koreans are disappointed by a recent crackdown by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Georgia that led to the arrests of hundreds of Korean nationals, a poll showed Tuesday.
According to the Realmeter survey, 59.2 percent of the respondents expressed disappointment as they described the measures "excessive," when asked about Thursday's raid at a battery plant construction site that left some 300 South Koreans detained.
Meanwhile, 30.7 percent said the measures were "inevitable" and that they understood the U.S. government, while 10.2 percent replied that they did not know.
The large-scale raid at the site operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution has stirred outrage in South Korea as U.S. immigration authorities released video footage of many workers being screened, shackled with handcuffs and metal chains, and loaded onto an "inmate transport" vehicle.
The South Korean government is currently making preparations to bring the detained nationals back home via a chartered plane.
The survey was conducted on 508 adults Monday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points, with a confidence rate of 95 percent.
This image from a video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and released by the Associated Press shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2025. (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 9, 2025
12. S. Korean delegation in U.S. for talks on details of tariff deal: officials
I wonder if a special allotment of B1 Visas will be a request on the agenda.
(LEAD) S. Korean delegation in U.S. for talks on details of tariff deal: officials | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Na-young · September 9, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 3 paras, photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- A working-level South Korean trade delegation is currently on a visit to the United States for talks on the details of a framework trade deal reached between the two countries in late July, Seoul's trade officials said Tuesday, with the talks expected to cover the investment package proposed by Korea and non-tariff trade measure issues.
The delegates are meeting with officials from the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Commerce Department, according to the officials.
Seoul and Washington reached a trade agreement on July 30, under which the Donald Trump administration agreed to lower its reciprocal tariff rate for South Korea to 15 percent from the initially proposed 25 percent and cut tariffs on Korean cars also to 15 percent from the current 25 percent.
In return, the Korean government made a pledge to invest a combined US$350 billion in the U.S. for cooperation in shipbuilding, semiconductor, battery and other advanced industries, while agreeing to purchase $100 billion worth of American energy products.
This illustrated image depicts U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies. (Yonhap)
The two sides have reportedly been working to bridge their differences over details of the proposed investment, such as its composition, financing methods and profit sharing arrangements, as well as issues related to non-tariff trade measures.
Seoul officials have said the planned investment will mostly comprise loans and credit guarantees, while the U.S. is known to be demanding direct investment.
The U.S. is reportedly pressuring Korea to first take action on its investment plan, using the lowered auto tariffs, which have yet to take effect, as leverage.
Last week, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy submitted a record-high budget proposal of 13.88 trillion won ($10 billion) for next year, allocating 1.9 trillion won for financing industrial cooperation projects with the U.S.
The Trump administration is also said to be pressuring Korea to take steps to resolve what it calls "non-tariff trade barriers" in the agro-livestock and digital sectors.
Under the trade deal, the Seoul government agreed to bolster cooperation with the U.S. regarding its sanitary and phytosanitary procedures (SPS) for American agricultural products.
Last month, Korea's agriculture minister said her ministry plans to newly set up a U.S. desk under the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency as part of efforts to strengthen communication with the U.S. on the matter.
The ongoing trade talks between Korea and the U.S. are expected to cover other trade barrier issues not included in the framework agreement, such as Seoul's proposed regulations on online platforms and restrictions on the export of high-precision map data, as well as an import ban of U.S. beef from cattle aged 30 months or older.
During a trade strategy meeting held Monday, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said the government will work to minimize the U.S. tariffs' impact on Korean companies and safeguard national interests in sensitive areas in trade talks with the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump (5th from L) poses for a group photo with a South Korean trade delegation, including Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol (6th from L), at the White House in Washington, on July 30, 2025, after South Korea and the United States reached a deal that called for the imposition of 15 percent tariffs on South Korea, 10 percentage points lower than what was proposed, in this file photo taken from the official X account of the White House. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Meanwhile, the Seoul delegation visiting the U.S. also voiced concerns over the arrests of more than 300 Korean nationals at a battery plant construction site in Georgia in a recent immigration crackdown in a meeting with the USTR and the U.S. Commerce Department, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The delegation is said to have told the U.S. side that visa issues should be resolved for Korean companies to invest in the U.S. under a stable environment.
On Monday, Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said he had expressed "strong" regret to his U.S. counterpart, Howard Lutnick, over the situation.
This photo, taken Sept. 8, 2025, shows the Folkston Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, where Korean workers of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution were detained following a recent immigration crackdown. (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Na-young · September 9, 2025
13. Defense chief, NATO military officer discuss defense, arms manufacturing cooperation
Korea must remain a global pivotal state and a partner in the arsenal of democracies.
(2nd LD) Defense chief, NATO military officer discuss defense, arms manufacturing cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Yoo Jee-ho · September 9, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS vice ministerial talks in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and the top military officer at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) discussed Tuesday ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defense and arms manufacturing sectors.
The meeting between Ahn and Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO military committee, took place on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, which began the previous day for a three-day run, the ministry said.
During the talks, Ahn expressed appreciation for NATO's interest in and commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.
The defense minister also highlighted the importance of cooperation with NATO, citing heightened global security tensions and growing security interconnectivity between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Cavo Dragone concurred with Ahn's remarks and voiced hopes to expand South Korea-NATO cooperation in areas including defense, military exchanges, intelligence sharing, cyber, space and artificial intelligence.
The two officials also agreed to continue high-level exchanges between their organizations to advance cooperation in a reciprocal and future-oriented manner.
This photo, provided by the defense ministry, shows Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) holding talks with Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone (R), chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee, on Sept. 9, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Ahn also held back-to-back talks with his counterparts from Croatia and South Africa, which both marked the first meetings between the defense chief of South Korea and the two countries.
Ahn and his Croatian counterpart, Ivan Anusic, agreed to strengthen their mutual defense cooperation and hold in-depth discussions on advanced technologies such as drones and unmanned aircraft.
In talks with South Africa's defense and veterans chief Angie Motshekga, Ahn thanked the South African official for sending troops during the 1950-53 Korean War to help defend the country.
Motshekga, who attended a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the U.N. Command the previous day, is set to visit Hanwha Ocean Co. on Wednesday to observe its shipbuilding and maintenance skills, the ministry said.
The South Korean defense minister also held talks with the visiting Mongolian defense chief, Batlut Damba, and discussed ways to expand their exchange and cooperation, such as the Mongolia-led Khan Quest peacekeeping exercise.
Also on Tuesday, Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and Sweden, exchanging views on how to enhance their cooperation in defense and the arms industry.
With Canada, Lee discussed expanding bilateral military intelligence exchanges and a high-level consultative body. Lee also sought to further develop arms industry cooperation with Malaysia, in light of South Korea's export of FA-50 light attack aircraft.
With South Korea and Singapore having elevated their ties to a strategic partnership, the two countries' vice defense chiefs talked about further strengthening their cooperation in maritime security.
South Korea and Sweden touched upon bilateral cooperation in defense science and technology.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) shakes hands with South Africa's defense and veterans chief Angie Motshekga during their meeting in Seoul on Sept. 9, 2025, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Yoo Jee-ho · September 9, 2025
14. Belarusian president says 'ready' to visit Pyongyang in message to N. Korea's Kim
Kim has emerged on the global stage.
Belarusian president says 'ready' to visit Pyongyang in message to N. Korea's Kim | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · September 9, 2025
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the country's founding anniversary, saying he is "ready" to visit Pyongyang.
According to Lukashenko's office, the president said he is prepared to visit North Korea at the earliest convenient time to strengthen bilateral ties.
The message came after Kim extended an invitation to Lukashenko to visit North Korea last week, during their brief conversation in Beijing ahead of China's military parade.
On Tuesday, North Korea marked the 77th anniversary of the country's founding on Sept. 9, 1948, by the current leader's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, in the communist northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
The Belarusian president also expressed hopes that increased cooperation between North Korea and Belarus could benefit both peoples and raise mutual trust and understanding.
This photo, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · September 9, 2025
15. President Lee Jae-myung orders immediate halt to Philippine project amid corruption concerns
President Lee Jae-myung orders immediate halt to Philippine project amid corruption concerns
Project, previously rejected over corruption risks, restarted after pressure from People Power Party Representative Kweon Seong-dong
https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/09/09/EQMHT3JR3VFXVJYFP7G4SLPUQI/
By Kim Tae-jun
Published 2025.09.09. 12:32
Updated 2025.09.09. 13:43
On the 26th in the morning, President Lee Jae-myung is greeting Representative Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party after concluding the government's policy speech on the second supplementary budget proposal for 2025 at the 2nd plenary session of the 426th National Assembly, temporary session, held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. /Newsis
President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 9th, regarding a report that a project denied government loan support due to concerns over poor management was resumed under pressure from People Power Party Representative Kweon Seong-dong, “I have ordered an immediate halt to the procedures for the project.”
The president shared this remark via a Facebook post linking to the article, adding, “What is most fortunate is that the project has not yet commenced, meaning funds such as the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) support have not been expended.” A weekly news magazine the previous day reported that a 700 billion Korean won-scale Philippine civil engineering project, which the Ministry of Economy and Finance had rejected for EDCF loan support in February of last year due to concerns over potential corruption and poor management, was restarted following pressure from Representative Kweon on then-Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and others.
President Lee emphasized, “There is significant meaning in preventing the unnecessary waste of 700 billion Korean won in taxpayer money and preemptively blocking risks that could lead to poor management and corruption.” He continued, “The media serves as a watchdog of power and a salt that prevents societal corruption, playing a pivotal role in building a fair world. I deeply appreciate the media’s courage and efforts in widely revealing the truth through this investigative report and ensuring the public’s right to know.”
※ This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.
16. N. Korea’s elaborate memorial events for fallen soldiers spark claims of political theater
But KJU is the master of political theater.
This should be exploited. If only we had the tools for employing the information instrument of national power. We would normally be discussing this on VOA's Washington Talk.
N. Korea’s elaborate memorial events for fallen soldiers spark claims of political theater
Kim's pledge to stand with Russia until the war's end and his promises to support grieving families were ultimately political gestures, a source told Daily NK
https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-elaborate-memorial-events-for-fallen-soldiers-spark-claims-of-political-theater/
By Lee Sang-yong - September 9, 2025
This scene of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un mourning while caressing a coffin containing the remains of a North Korean soldier who died on deployment to Russia was displayed in the background of an artistic performance at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater on June 29 with Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in attendance. (Korean Central Television)
North Korean authorities have organized a series of events to honor soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war and comfort their grieving families, but some North Koreans describe these ceremonies as elaborate political theater designed to serve the regime’s strategic goals.
Critics point to scenes of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un weeping while consoling bereaved families as carefully choreographed moments aimed at showing both domestic and international audiences that North Korea will honor its military sacrifices while demonstrating its alliance with Russia.
Careful staging and selective presentation
According to a Daily NK source inside North Korea, authorities were meticulous in selecting which veterans received public recognition. Only commanders and soldiers specifically chosen for their battlefield accomplishments were featured in the ceremonies.
The choice of venue was equally deliberate. By holding the events at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea—a space typically reserved for the country’s top leadership—authorities sought to maximize the prestige and significance of the commemorations.
North Korea also intentionally displayed only a small number of portraits of the fallen. Officials strictly limited how many were shown, believing that revealing the full extent of combat casualties might shock the public, the source explained.
The most emotionally charged moments—Kim personally placing medals on portraits of the dead and embracing family members—were carefully orchestrated by the ruling party’s Publicity and Information Department and Korean Documentary Film Studio.
While the released footage emphasized gratitude and pride, the actual events were filled with raw grief. Parents mourned their children and young widows wept for their husbands. Even this genuine sorrow was manipulated by authorities, who transformed the families’ pain into what they called “the pride of the North Korean people, who raised heroes.”
This follows Korea Central TV’s Aug. 31 broadcast of documentary footage showing North Korean troops in combat, highlighting cases where soldiers chose to detonate explosives rather than surrender—acts the regime portrayed as embodying the “spirit of heroic sacrifice.” The recent memorial events continued this narrative, serving as political theater designed to convince the public that loyalty to the state ensures care and recognition.
“What the government wanted to achieve through these events was obvious,” the source said. “They emphasized the blood alliance with Russia while promoting unity within the military and society at home, all while engaging in ‘politics of tears’ by showing the leader personally crying and caring for the bereaved.”
The source added that Kim’s pledge to stand with Russia until the war’s end and his promises to support grieving families were ultimately political gestures meant to strengthen loyalty to his regime.
North Korea’s political messaging appears to have resonated, at least partially. According to multiple sources quoted by Daily NK on Sept. 4, images of Kim meeting with bereaved families—consoling them, crying alongside them, and sharing their pain—had a powerful impact throughout the country.
Read in Korean
17. Cooperation with North Korea can expand South’s economy: Ruling party leader
We should keep in mind most encomic engagement condcuted owth north Korea will exploit slave labor conditions. That does not support a human rights upfront apporach.
Cooperation with North Korea can expand South’s economy: Ruling party leader
Democratic Party’s Jung Chung-rae proposes ‘livelihood unification’ to create jobs, despite DPRK’s rejection of ties
https://www.nknews.org/2025/09/cooperation-with-north-korea-can-expand-souths-economy-ruling-party-leader/
Joon Ha Park September 9, 2025
Ruling Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae speaks at a Supreme Council meeting on Sept. 3, 2025. | Image: Democratic Party of Korea
Economic cooperation between North and South Korea can expand the economy and create more jobs, the ROK ruling party’s new leader said on Tuesday, proposing a policy of “livelihood unification” that increases people’s “happiness” through inter-Korean reconciliation.
Four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae made the appeal in his first policy address since his election as chair of the Democratic Party (DP) last month, speaking during the National Assembly’s regular session.
“The key to the two Koreas holding hands again lies in economic cooperation,” he said in the speech, which party leaders traditionally use to lay out the ruling party’s legislative priorities.
Jung argued that renewed inter-Korean cooperation could immediately increase the size of the Korean economy, suggesting that broader exchange across Northeast Asia could lead to the emergence of a new regional economic community.
He also expressed hope that Pyongyang would “understand that President Lee Jae-myung seeks inter-Korean exchanges not for political purposes, but to improve the happiness of our people.”
Jung emphasized the importance of public support for reconciliation and peace, calling it critical not only for “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace.”
While the Lee administration seeks to maintain strong defense to deter provocations, the DP leader Jung said that Seoul simultaneously seeks to reopen suspended dialogue channels and encourage exchanges aimed at coexistence.
“This is not about provoking North Korea, but about ensuring our people feel secure,” Jung said.
The lawmaker urged Pyongyang to respond positively to Lee’s proposed three-step process of “freeze, reduction and denuclearization,” stating that peace can only take root if both sides move forward together.
Kim Jong Un glances in the direction of a North Korean and unification flag during an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang on Sept. 18, 2018. | Image: Joint Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said Jung’s call for “livelihood unification” echoes ideas championed under former President Moon Jae-in, which framed joint projects as a bridge to narrow the divide between the two Koreas.
But the expert said such proposals remain “somewhat empty” without a road map to overcome the impasse over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and its unwillingness to engage.
Pyongyang has repeatedly insisted that it will never give up its nuclear weapons, and leader Kim Jong Un designated the South as a “hostile” enemy nation in Dec. 2023, abandoning the decades-old goal of inter-Korean reunification.
The North has also spurned the Lee administration’s reconciliatory gestures since the new president took office in early June.
“From North Korea’s perspective, there’s no pressing need right now to pursue inter-Korean exchange, cooperation or improved relations,” Lim added, pointing to Pyongyang’s alignment with China and Russia displayed at Beijing’s Victory Day parade last week.
Meanwhile, Jung on Tuesday accused conservatives of “seeking to provoke North Korea, create a crisis, and exploit that crisis to destroy democracy.”
His remarks represented a rebuke of previous President Yoon Suk-yeol, who justified his declaration of martial law as necessary to crack down on “pro-DPRK” forces.
Jung cited the recently disclosed notebook of former ROK army intelligence commander Noh Sang-won, which reportedly outlined contingency plans for mass arrests and even assassinations of opposition figures. He vowed to block any “political manipulation through fabricated North Korean threats.”
Edited by Bryan Betts
18. In a First, Korean Women Target U.S. Military in Suit Over Prostitution
This is sad but true.
This is another issue that will rasie anti-American sentiment in South Korea.
In a First, Korean Women Target U.S. Military in Suit Over Prostitution
Dozens of women who worked in the sex trade in South Korea are seeking an apology and compensation for the rights abuses they suffered while catering to American G.I.s.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/world/asia/korea-comfort-women-us-military.html?unlocked_article_code=1.kk8.Cpd0.P4pSAVm3InCq&smid=url-share
Listen to this article · 5:07 min Learn more
A U.S. military base in Dongducheon, South Korea. Tens of thousands of U.S. troops have been stationed in the country since the Korean War.Credit...Yonhap/EPA, via Shutterstock
By Choe Sang-Hun
Reporting from Seoul
Sept. 8, 2025,
8:09 a.m. ET
In a first, dozens of South Korean women who worked as prostitutes have filed a lawsuit accusing the United States military of illegally promoting the sex trade for decades and locking them up to forcibly treat them for sexually transmitted diseases.
In the lawsuit, announced in a news conference on Monday, the women demanded that the U.S. military apologize and pay damages for playing a hand in managing a vast network of prostitution around its bases in South Korea. Korean women who worked in bars and brothels frequented by American troops have reported rampant human rights violations.
In 2022, the women won a court ruling against their own government. South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered the government to compensate dozens of women for the trauma they endured as “comfort women for the U.S. military,” as they were once known. The court found the government guilty of encouraging prostitution for American G.I.s to help bring in badly needed U.S. dollars for the economy and maintain ties with the United States, on which it relied for security. It also said the government forced many women to receive treatment for sexually transmitted diseases in a “systematic and violent” way.
The latest lawsuit, which was filed at a Seoul court on Friday, was the first attempt by the women to hold the U.S. military accountable. The women and their lawyers said that the U.S. military was “the real culprit” in what was a state-sponsored sex trade, even allowing comfort women inside its bases and near its field training grounds.
On Monday, one 66-year-old woman said that she was 16 when she was sold to a pimp who catered to American G.I.s. She said that the U.S. military was aware that minors like her were brought into the trade through sex trafficking but did nothing to stop it.
She spoke at the news conference on the condition of anonymity, citing her fear of public shaming.
In South Korea, women like her have not won the kind of public sympathy extended to women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II. Instead, they said they have had to live in shame and silence for decades. Korean society despised them, they said, treating them like a shameful underside of its alliance with the United States that it wanted to obscure.
They could not even sue the U.S. military directly; lawsuits seeking compensation from the U.S. troops based in South Korea must be settled with the local government. So the women sued their government again, this time for what the U.S. military did to them, each seeking 10 million won, or $7,200, in compensation.
Their real goal is to find the U.S. military culpable in a court of law of abusing them. For decades, South Korean women worked in so-called camp towns — clusters of licensed bars, brothels and shops that South Korea created to help contain prostitution for G.I.s, who paid in dollars, in the special zones.
The United States has stationed tens of thousands of troops in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. Some of the women working in camp towns had been abducted and sold to pimps, while others were lured with the promise of work. All the women were held in debt bondage to pimps, according to scholars who studied the issue.
The South Korean Justice Ministry, the defendant in the suit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did the U.S. military command in the country. It has previously said that it did not condone or support prostitution or human trafficking.
Prostitution is illegal in South Korea. But local officials and U.S. military authorities gathered women for English and etiquette classes, according to some of the women and declassified South Korean government and U.S. military documents their lawyers submitted to the court as evidence. Local officials urged them to earn more dollars, calling them “patriots.” The U.S. military’s instructions for the women focused on protecting its troops from sexually transmitted diseases.
Under rules that the U.S. military and South Korean officials worked out, comfort women had to be tested twice a week, according to the women and unsealed documents. The U.S. military conducted random inspections at clubs, rounding up women without a valid registration or V.D. test card. The women had to wear numbered badges or name tags at clubs, and the U.S. military kept “hot sheets” — or photo files of the women — at base clinics to help infected soldiers identify contacts.
The infected women, but not their G.I. partners, were locked up in facilities with barred windows where they were heavily dosed with penicillin; some died of penicillin shock, according to the women. The U.S. military demanded the isolation of the women in such facilities, and the local government acquiesced, the women’s lawyers said, citing supporting documents.
Camp towns have slowly faded with South Korea’s rapid economic development. But the women’s lawyers said that some of the activities described in the lawsuit continued until 2004.
Choe Sang-Hun is the lead reporter for The Times in Seoul, covering South and North Korea.
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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