🔗 Share this article

When Youngjin looked out of his workspace glass and spotted security trucks and immigration agents running about carrying firearms, he was stunned, but unconcerned.

The South Korean man was convinced it had nothing to do with him. Youngjin was in the US just for a few weeks on a short-term permit, he thought to himself.

Then, those weapon-carrying agents burst into his room and ordered him out. They handcuffed him, before attaching restraints to his waist and ankles, and loaded him onto a bus headed for a detention centre.

"I panicked and my thoughts went blank. I felt ill," he shared during a discussion, now back in South Korea.

"I couldn't understand why I was being handled in this manner."

Youngjin is among of over 300 South Korean employees who were detained in the US state of the Southern state earlier this month, in one of the largest enforcement raids during Donald Trump's presidency so far. He and others spoken with about this article didn't want to reveal their real names to protect their privacy.

Aircraft and UAVs… People Carrying Guns

US authorities at first claimed the individuals had been in the country illegally on incorrect visas, but later the parties struck a deal permitting them to leave without force without any penalties, so they could return to be employed there in the coming years.

The majority of the workers were in the United States temporarily, assisting to build an EV battery plant run by a pair of South Korean firms, an automaker and a tech giant – a segment of a US push to get foreign companies to invest and produce more in the states.

LG indicated that many of its staff who were arrested had various types of permits or were under a visa waiver programme. And so they were particularly shocked by the raid.

"We just stepped outside for a short break and I could see a lot of individuals, agents with guns. As Koreans, we just thought they were here to arrest criminals, but then, they abruptly started detaining us," said Chul-yong, who was also taken that day.

Chul-yong said they attempted to clarify who they were, but they were terrified: "We saw choppers and drones, security vehicles… officers with guns."

We noticed some agents pointing weapons at workers, he claimed. "You know those red dots that emit from those guns? It was so alarming that some individuals were trembling in fear."

Even those who managed to provide their visa details said they were arrested. "I believed everything would be resolved but on the contrary, they without warning restrained us," said Mr Kim detained, who just wanted to give his surname.

The detainee said there was a restraint around his ankles and another around his body, linked to restraints. "They were so tight, I was unable to touch my head with my arms."

Each of them said they had no idea why this was happening, or where they were being taken. "I later learned that I was detained at the Folkston immigration Processing Facility," mentioned the software engineer. Chul-yong had been intending to stay for about a 30 days but was detained on his sixth day there.

'It Was Very Cold... Drinking Water Had an Odor Similar to Wastewater'

The engineer, an engineer and sub-contractor for LG, was planned to be there for over a month to train personnel to operate some of the specialized advanced equipment.

The 30-year-old was shaking, even clearly upset, as he described his transfer to the detention center and locked in a room with dozens of other detainees.

"I had a anxiety episode. I just stood there shaking," he said. The room was freezing, and the recent detainees were not provided blankets for the first two days, he added.

"I was in light clothing, so I tucked my limbs inside my clothes and covered myself in a towel to try to stay heated at during the evening," he said. "The worst part was the water. It smelt like sewage. We consumed as little as possible."

Those sleeping areas were all taken, another detainee said, by the moment he arrived, leaving him and others to locate any available space to sleep, including an empty surface where they could put their head down.

"We tried to sleep wherever possible, really. It was very chilly. There were people who located packaged bread, heated it up in the microwave, hugging it throughout the night."

During the first few days, Youngjin had little clue how long he would be detained for. He feared it might be a long period. It was only after a number of the workers were able to consult lawyers and consular officials, did they realise their government was working with the American officials to get them released.

"Even the US authorities believes it may have been a somewhat too extreme," the nation's lead economic representative told the media after coming back from the United States. South Korea states it is now reviewing potential human rights abuses during the raid by American authorities.

Trump acknowledged the need to have experts from abroad train up US employees, and according to Korean officials, American Deputy Official of State a senior diplomat has expressed his "sincere regrets" over the event.

Still, it has damaged ties between the US and South Korea, typically strong allies, especially since it occurred soon on the aftermath of a economic deal in which South Korean companies committed to invest $350 billion in the US.

The worker was confident his activities was permitted by his business permit - and contended it made no sense for the authorities to detain many of individuals without clarifying their functions in the factory.

Younjin, who was in the US on a three-month permit-exempt scheme, is firm he did no illegal. "I only participated in discussions and gave instructional presentations," he said, noting this was under the scope of the waiver. "My confidence in the US has been greatly undermined. I don't think it's a reliable partner for our country."

Even though returned with his loved ones, the worker is continuing finding it hard to come to terms with what occurred to him. At the time he met them at the terminal after returning home on Friday night, he said he smiled and {hug