South Korea says US release of video showing workers' arrest was regrettable

7/9/2025 12:21

South Korea said on Saturday that the U.S. release of photos and a video of the arrest of hundreds of Korean workers was regrettable, especially as the incident followed so closely after a summit between the two nations' leaders.



U.S. immigration officials raided a Hyundai Motor car battery factory on Thursday and later released a video and photos of workers shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles getting on a bus after the raid.



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 finalise a trade deal after a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.



First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo told U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in a telephone call 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," the foreign ministry said in a statement released late on Saturday.



Park also asked Hooker to ensure a fair and swift resolution to the matter.