Anchor: A ranking presidential official in Seoul says the South Korean workers apprehended in the United States last week will return home on a chartered plane as soon as administrative procedures are finalized. Some 300 South Koreans are currently detained on allegations of staying or working illegally in the U.S. after immigration authorities raided a battery plant construction site. 
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: Seoul has wrapped up talks with Washington for the release of hundreds of detained South Korean workers in the U.S. state of Georgia.

During a meeting with ruling party officials on Sunday, the South Korean presidential chief of staff said they will soon come back on a chartered plane. 

[Sound bite: South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik (Korean-English)]
“As a result of swift, coordinated efforts by government ministries, business groups and companies, talks for the release of the detained workers have been concluded. All that remains now are administrative procedures, and once those are completed, a chartered plane will depart to bring our people home.”

[Sound bite: Video footage of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant]

On Thursday, U.S. immigration authorities raided a construction site where South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution were building an advanced battery plant and arrested 450 people, mostly South Koreans. 

[Sound bite: South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik (Korean-English)]
“To prevent a similar incident in the future, we will work with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and related companies to review and improve the residency status and visa system for travelers on U.S.-related projects.”

[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump]
“No, we have a great relationship with South Korea. Really good relationship... "

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, U.S. President Donald Trump said the raid will not hurt relations with South Korea. 

[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump]
"We have a lot of industries that we don’t have anymore, and we’re going to have to train people. And the way you train people is bring people in that know what they’re doing and let them stay for a little while and help. So I’m going to look at that. It’s a very interesting situation that took place in Georgia... "

Previously, Trump imposed harsh tariffs to incentivize foreign companies to manufacture goods in the U.S. and pushed for major investments. 

The battery plant at the newly opened Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is part of the company’s 12-point-six billion dollar investment in the U.S. 

Trump told the reporters the U.S. may need skilled personnel from overseas to train Americans to perform complex tasks in areas such as battery manufacturing, computer production and shipbuilding.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.