Talks between South Korea and the U.S. have concluded regarding the release of detained Korean workers in Georgia, a presidential official said on Sunday.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hun-sik announced in televised remarks that a plane will be dispatched to bring back the Koreans once administrative procedures are completed. U.S. federal agents carried out a raid at a Hyundai Motor manufacturing facility in Georgia this week – the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security's investigative operations.

Hundreds of workers were detained, the majority of whom were Korean
 nationals.

South Korea has recently reached a major trade deal with the U.S., which includes a $350 billion fund to help Korean companies enter the U.S. market.

U.S. President Donald Trump may visit South Korea in October for the gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation event, CNN reported on Saturday.

The South Korean government will seek ways to improve the visa system of Korean workers traveling to the U.S. to "prevent a similar incident" in the future.

What happened during the raid?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released video footage showing Asian workers shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles getting on a bus after the raid, which involved a helicopter and armored vehicles.

Approximately 475 workers were arrested, including over 300 Koreans, at the plant near Savannah.

In the video, hundreds of workers were standing in front of a building, some wearing yellow vests labeled "Hyundai" and "LG CNS." Two of the workers attempted to hide in a pond before being apprehended.

How did Seoul react?

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at an emergency meeting in Seoul that, of the 475 arrested, "more than 300 are believed to be our nationals."

"We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over this matter," Cho said, adding that he would go to Washington for talks if necessary.

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo raised the issue in a telephone call with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, voicing regret over the crackdown and the release of footage showing the Korean workers' arrest.

Park said "the economic activities of Korean companies investing in the United States and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations."

Park "asked the State Department to actively work to ensure a fair and swift resolution to this matter."

What did LG, Hyundai say?

LG Energy Solution said on Saturday that 47 of its employees were arrested – 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian. The company also said about 250 of those arrested were believed to be employed by its contractor, and most of them were South Koreans.

"Business trips to the U.S. will be suspended for the time being unless they are absolutely necessary," the firm's spokeswoman told AFP.

"Those currently on assignments in the U.S. are going to either return home immediately or remain on standby at their accommodation, taking into account the specifics of their work situation."

Hyundai said on Friday it understood that none of those detained was "directly employed" by the firm.

What did the U.S. say?

The raid stemmed from a probe into "allegations of unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimes" at the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution joint venture plant, Steven Schrank, a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations special agent in Atlanta, told reporters on Friday.

"This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses," he said. "This has been a multi-month criminal investigation."

Schrank said that those arrested were "illegally present in the United States" and "working unlawfully."

He said those taken into custody have been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential removal.

When asked about the raid by reporters at the White House, Trump said: "I would say that they were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job."

Schrank said some of those detained had crossed the U.S. border illegally, while others had arrived with visas that prohibited them from working or had overstayed their work visas.

"This operation underscores our commitment to protecting jobs for Georgians and Americans, ensuring a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law, safeguarding the integrity of our economy and protecting workers from exploitation," he said.

Trump has promised to revive the manufacturing sector in the United States, while also vowing to deport millions of undocumented migrants.

How can the incident impact Washington-Seoul ties amid trade deal talks?

The crackdown could risk damaging ties between Washington and Seoul, a key Asian ally and U.S. investor, when the two are trying to narrow their differences and finalize a trade deal after a summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung last month.

In a phone call with Hooker, Park said that it was regrettable the incident "occurred at a critical time, when the momentum of trust and cooperation between the two leaders, forged through their first summit, must be maintained," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement released late on Saturday.

South Korea, Asia's fourth-biggest economy, is a key automaker and electronics producer with multiple plants in the United States.

Its companies have invested billions of dollars to build factories in the United States in a bid to access the U.S. market and avoid tariff threats from Trump.

(With input from Reuters, AFP)