Around 300 South Korean workers arrived back home on Friday (Sept 12) to tearful reunions with their families, a week after being caught up in a large-scale U.S. immigration raid that left many uncertain if they would ever be able to work there again. Wearing masks, the workers stepped off a chartered plane at Incheon Airport, where they were welcomed with cheers from officials, including the presidential chief of staff, before being taken by bus to meet their relatives. Their return followed days of intense negotiations by Seoul to secure their release, after images of them being taken away in handcuffs and shackles sparked outrage in South Korea, a close ally of the U.S.

Push for U.S. visa changes: South Korean companies have long faced challenges in securing proper visas for specialized workers on long-term projects in the U.S., forcing some to rely on loopholes in visa rules. To address this, both countries are considering setting up a joint working group to explore creating a new visa category for Korean workers, according to South Korea’s foreign minister, who was in Washington this week.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, who greeted the workers at the airport, said his presence underscored how seriously President Lee Jae Myung viewed the matter, which he said had affected “innocent people of Korea.” “We are living in a new era in our dealings with the United States,” Kang told reporters. “The rules keep changing, and constant negotiations are needed, not just on tariffs but also on security issues.”

The workers were reunited with their families and officials from LG Energy Solution (LGES) and its subcontractors. LGES, together with Hyundai Motor, is building a battery plant in Georgia, where the raid took place. The incident risks straining U.S.-South Korea relations at a sensitive time, as both sides work to finalize a trade agreement involving a US$350 billion (S$450 billion) fund to bolster key U.S. industries.

At the arrival hall, one protester displayed a large poster of U.S. President Donald Trump dressed in an outfit marked with the initials of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, carrying a bag of cash and a machine gun. The caption read: “We’re friends!” Police later forced the protester to move away from the area.