WASHINGTON (September 8, 2025) – South Korea announced a deal to bring home more than 300 South Korean nationals after they were detained during the largest immigration raid of President Trump’s second term at Hyundai plant in Georgia.
The Washington Post reports, “The agreement comes at a delicate time for relations between Washington and Seoul, an important U.S. ally.”
Experts at the George Washington University are available to provide context on U.S. and South Korea relations and the diplomacy involved to reach this deal. To speak with an expert, please contact Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell at shannon [dot] mitchell
gwu [dot] edu (shannon[dot]mitchell[at]gwu[dot]edu).
U.S.-South Korea Relations
Celeste Arrington, Korea Foundation Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Director, GW Institute for Korean Studies; Co-Director, East Asia National Resource Center. Arrington is an expert in comparative politics, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, state-society relations, law and society, media and politics, and Northeastern Asian security.
Gregg Brazinsky, Professor of History and International Affairs; Director, M.A. Asian Studies Program; Director, Sigur Center for Asian Studies; Co-Director, East Asia National Resource Center. Brazinsky is an expert on U.S. and East Asian relations.
Yonho Kim, Associate Research Professor of International Affairs and the Associate Director of the GW Institute for Korean Studies. Kim directs the policy programs at the Institute for Korean Studies: North Korea Economic Forum, North Korea Certificate Program, and Korea Policy Forum. He specializes in North Korea’s mobile telecommunications and U.S. policy towards North Korea.
Immigration
Paulina Vera, Distinguished Professorial Lecturer in Law; Director, Immigration Clinic at the George Washington University Law School. Vera is an expert in immigration and asylum court.
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