Kemp to visit South Korea, Japan to strengthen economic ties

ATLANTA, Ga. – Gov. Brian Kemp will visit both South Korea and Japan this fall to strengthen Georgia’s economic ties with the nations, a spokesperson for his office confirmed Tuesday.

The trip comes after an ICE immigration raid on South Korea-based Hyundai’s EV battery plant near Savannah earlier this month.

More than 450 people were detained in the raid, including more than 300 South Koreans, who were flown back to their home country on a charter plane.

Despite the raid, Hyundai has since said it will go ahead with plans to expand the plant.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said the upcoming visit was scheduled before the raid.

“Gov. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp will travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea this fall on a mission focused on strengthening economic ties with two key partners,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This travel, as with any economic development mission, was scheduled well before the events of Sept. 4, with the logistics required to organize such a mission taking months to finalize.”

This will be Kemp’s third visit to South Korea, one of Georgia’s largest economic development partners, and “further reinforces the strong economic ties between our state and economic partners” in South Korea, the spokesperson said.

Kemp will also attend the 47th annual Southeast U.S./Japan Association (SEUS-Japan) Joint Meeting, “an opportunity to strengthen Georgia’s economic, educational, and cultural ties with partners in one of the world’s largest economies.”

That meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28-29, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Homeland Security Investigations officials said the Sept. 4 raid resulted from a months-long investigation into accusations of illegal hiring at the site. According to the workers’ lawyers, they were in the country to help install parts of the factory that American workers don’t have the training to do.

The incident caused alarm in South Korea, whose citizens saw videos of workers shackled with chains around their hands, ankles and waists.

Kemp called for overhauling the U.S. visa system following the raid.