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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrive at a Korean battery plant construction site in Georgia on September 4 during a raid that led to the detention of more than 300 Korean workers. / Source: ICE video capture

More than 300 Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities at a Korean battery plant construction site in Georgia will return home on a chartered flight around Sept. 10, arriving in Korea the following day, according to the Korean Embassy in Washington.

Cho Ki-jung, consul general at the Korean Embassy, told reporters at the ICE detention center in Folkston, Georgia, on Sunday that the embassy is “doing everything possible to send home those who wish to leave as quickly as possible,” noting that each detainee’s consent must be confirmed before departure.

He explained that Jacksonville International Airport in Florida, located about 50 minutes by car from the detention facility, is expected to be used for the flight. Consular officials from Korean missions in the U.S., including the Atlanta consulate, have been conducting interviews with detainees, including women held in a separate facility. Cho said most interviews have been completed, adding that the detainees are “doing well, though of course not as comfortably as at home.”

Earlier, Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, said at a ruling bloc policy meeting that negotiations for the release had been concluded.

The detainees’ swift return is seen as the result of Korea’s active coordination not only with the U.S. State and Homeland Security departments but also with the White House, despite America’s slower administrative process.

Most detainees are accused only of working outside their permitted visa categories at Hyundai’s Metaplant America (HMGMA) campus, part of Korea’s investment commitments in the U.S. This limited scope of charges is believed to have helped negotiations. Immigration attorney Sarah Owings, representing about 30 detainees, told The Washington Post that many had visas allowing restricted work at Hyundai and argued they had not violated their terms. She warned that such arrests could deter foreign firms from building factories in the U.S.

However, White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN on Sunday that the Trump administration plans “many more workplace raids like this,” insisting that employers hire undocumented immigrants “to work harder for lower pay,” undermining American workers.

The Korean government is now focusing on resolving administrative procedures to avoid future U.S. entry restrictions on those detained. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is expected to travel to the U.S. as early as Sept. 8 for talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to finalize arrangements.