Folkston: A total of 316 South Korean citizens were released on Thursday, about a week after their arrest on the premises of car manufacturer Hyundai, according to news agency Yonhap. These individuals were picked up by bus from the detention centre in Folkston, Georgia, and were to be taken to Atlanta airport.

According to Ghana News Agency, a charter plane operated by Korean Air was waiting at Atlanta airport to fly the individuals back to South Korea. Yonhap reported that this is formally a 'voluntary departure' rather than a deportation, indicating that the individuals were not forced to leave but chose to return to South Korea.

The arrests were the result of a large-scale raid conducted last week by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at a factory jointly operated by carmakers Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. During this operation, approximately 475 foreign workers were detained, with over 300 of them being South Korean citizens. US authorities accused them of either residing in the US illegally or working there without the appropriate permits.

The incident has generated considerable tension between Seoul and Washington, two allied nations. This comes in the wake of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's recent promise to US President Donald Trump of investments amounting to $350 billion in the United States. The situation has also sparked several demonstrations in front of the US embassy in central Seoul over the past few days, reflecting the public's concern and discontent over the treatment of their compatriots abroad.