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This article is sourced from Xinhua News Agency;

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 15th - About 10 days after U.S. law enforcement arrested more than 300 Korean employees of South Korean companies in the United States, triggering a diplomatic incident, President Trump on the 14th posted on social media that he welcomed foreign companies bringing professional technical personnel to the U.S., and stated that he did not want to "scare away" foreign investors. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol previously said that the "arrest" incident would make South Korean companies hesitant and worried about investing in the U.S.

South Korea's government has repeatedly stated over the past few days that it will investigate whether the arrested employees have been subjected to human rights violations. The South Korean side has requested the U.S. to take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Trump: Welcome Foreign Professional Technical Personnel

Trump said on social media on the 14th that in the production of many products such as chips, semiconductors, and computers, U.S. personnel need to learn from foreign employees, and expressed the hope that professional technical personnel from foreign companies could teach and train U.S. personnel in manufacturing technology.

Trump also said that he does not want to scare or hinder foreign and foreign enterprises' investments, "We welcome them, welcome their employees."

Media reports suggest that the "arrest" incident reflects the contradictions in the Trump administration's policies. The Wall Street Journal in the U.S. said that this incident is the "collision" of two key policies of the Trump administration: cracking down on illegal immigration and rebuilding American manufacturing. An article in the Japan Economic News believes that the Trump administration's policies are contradictory; increasing the crackdown on "illegal employment" will affect American economic activities and hinder the so-called goal of "reviving American manufacturing."

South Korea: A Little Scared

Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 11th at a press conference marking his 100 days in office that the "arrest" incident would cause South Korean companies to be "very hesitant" when investing in the U.S. He said that companies cannot help but feel worried, they are concerned that setting up factories in the U.S. may be adversely affected or become more difficult.

The main financial newspaper of South Korea, "Financial News," published an editorial on the 8th stating that this incident exposes the fact that although the U.S. tries to attract foreign investment and promote the return of manufacturing, the environment for attracting investment is worrying. The editorial believes that it should not allow the U.S. to attract foreign investment and promote the return of manufacturing on one hand, while ignoring the issues of institutional arrangements for foreign labor and investment on the other.

South Korean public opinion believes that the "arrest" incident will affect other South Korean companies such as Samsung Group and SK Group who are currently building factories in the U.S. If the visa issue is not resolved, similar incidents may recur, and South Korean companies' investments in the U.S. may also be affected.

According to a report by AFP, South Korean trade union organizations have also asked the U.S. to formally apologize.

Investigation into Human Rights Violations

On the 15th, the South Korean presidential office stated that the South Korean side will investigate whether the South Korean citizens detained by the U.S. have been subjected to human rights violations.

On the 14th, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that it will thoroughly investigate the relevant issues and take necessary measures. According to the Korean Central News Agency, a South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs official reported that since the incident of the arrest of South Korean citizens, the South Korean government has already expressed regret to the U.S. and continuously requested the U.S. to ensure that the rights of South Korean citizens are not improperly infringed during law enforcement. A South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said that the government will jointly investigate whether there were any unjust acts against the human rights or other rights of the detained individuals with the company to which the detained person belongs.

The Korean Central News Agency exposed a "detention diary" of the detained individual on the same day, which recorded multiple instances of unfair and harsh treatment, such as poor living conditions and being mocked by U.S. personnel.

According to news from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Deputy Minister Park Yun-joo met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher R. Landau in Seoul on the 14th to discuss resolving the detention of South Korean citizens in the U.S. and cooperation in improving the visa system. Park Yun-joo stated that the improper treatment of South Korean enterprise employees in U.S. detention facilities not only harmed the individuals involved, but also caused great shock to the South Korean people, strongly demanding the U.S. to take concrete measures to improve related systems and prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Event Review

On the 4th, U.S. immigration officers conducted a surprise law enforcement operation targeting a battery factory jointly operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, and related contractors, arresting more than 300 South Koreans. Video released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the 6th showed some people placing their hands on the bus while being searched by officers, then their hands, feet, and waist were tied with chains and escorted onto the vehicle.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-wook departed for the U.S. on the afternoon of the 8th to negotiate.

A Korean Air charter flight arrived at Atlanta International Airport in Georgia on the 10th, preparing to bring back these workers. However, South Korean officials said on the same day that the originally scheduled flight to return to South Korea was postponed due to "U.S. circumstances."

Cho Hyun-wook met with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio on the morning of the 10th. Rubio explained that Trump believed the detained South Korean citizens were professional technical personnel and hoped they would continue to work in the U.S. and train U.S. personnel. Cho responded that the South Korean side's detained personnel were deeply affected by this incident and it would be more appropriate to return to South Korea first before going back to the U.S. to work. The U.S. respected the South Korean position and agreed to arrange their return.

The South Korean employees who were arrested were released on the 11th. Except for one person who chose to remain in the U.S., the rest returned to South Korea by chartered flight later that day. They arrived in Seoul on the afternoon of the 12th. Government and business representatives including South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs First Deputy Minister Park Yun-joo and LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myeong traveled together on the chartered flight back to South Korea.

According to reports, the U.S. promised the released South Korean employees that they would not be affected in the future when re-entering the U.S.

This "arrest" incident caused a stir in South Korea. According to the Korean Central News Agency, South Korean citizens felt shocked, angry, and panicked. A political party stated that this incident brought "painful humiliation" to South Korea, and that South Korea sent a "big investment package" to the U.S. only to be "stabbed in the back." (Reporters: Wang Shen, Zhou Xiaotian, Lu Rui, Sun Yiran, Chen Yi)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7550234195944063498/

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