Trump attempts to reassure Korea Inc. in wake of LG-Hyundai plant raid

“I don’t want to frighten off or disincentivize Investment into America by outside Countries or Companies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on September 14.

“When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other ‘things,’ come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products, as they phase out of our Country, and back into their land,” the post began, ending with, “We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own “game,” sometime into the not too distant future!”

Trump’s comments came days after U.S. immigration authorities detained 475 workers at the Georgia construction site, including 317 Koreans, who were released after about a week.

Some were reportedly staying in the United States on B-1 visitor visas or under the visa waiver program, ESTA, which do not permit working, while others had overstayed their visas. Still, reports that some workers held valid visas sparked concerns of overreach by U.S. authorities and potential chilling effects on investment.

Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy secretary of state who recently visited Seoul, confirmed that Trump’s remarks were directed at Korea.

“Korean companies are poised to make massive new investments in our country, and — as I emphasized to our Korean friends — we in the State Department will ensure that they have the necessary and proper visas to comply with our laws,” Landau wrote on his X account.

Landau met with First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo on September 14 to discuss improving visa procedures to guarantee stable stays for Korean technical staff at U.S. investment projects, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Domestically, Trump is facing criticism that his anti-immigration agenda has lost momentum compared to his campaign pledges. During last year’s election, he vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and restrict visas for Chinese students, but critics say his stance has softened since starting his second term.

He temporarily exempted labor-reliant industries such as farming and hospitality from enforcement before reversing himself, and last month announced he would allow 600,000 Chinese students to enroll in U.S. universities.

Trump’s recent comments welcoming foreign investment and workers after the Georgia incident have also angered some hardline supporters.

“Why are we allowing 600,000 students from China to replace our American student’s [sic] opportunities?” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a leading voice in the MAGA faction, on X after the announcement last month. “We should never allow that.”

“Nobody, I repeat nobody, wants 600,000 more Chinese ‘students’ aka Communist spies in the United States,” wrote Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer, on the social media platform.

“Trump remains open-minded on issues that are economically essential,” said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute. “It reflects his business background, not a fundamental shift in policy.”

The New York Times reported that White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended Trump’s record, saying in a statement that he “has been incredibly consistent with his immigration policies.” To suggest otherwise, she added, “demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of the president’s agenda.”

BY HA SU-YOUNG  [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]