More than 300 South Koreans who were detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US state of Georgia have arrived back home.
Their return comes as the country's president and Hyundai's chief executive have warned about the impact of the raid.
A chartered Korean Air jet carrying the workers and 14 non-Koreans who were also detained in the raid took off from Atlanta at midday local time on Thursday (17:00 BST). One South Korean national has reportedly chosen to stay in the US to seek permanent residency.
The incident has shaken ties between the US and South Korea, whose companies are investing billions in the States – investment President Donald Trump has pushed to secure.
The workers' departure was delayed by more than a day because of an instruction from the White House, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday.
Trump ordered the pause to check whether the workers were willing to remain in the US to continue working and training Americans, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.
The workers looked happy but tired as they were brought through Incheon International Airport and shepherded onto buses to be reunited with their families. I'm back, I'm free, one of them shouted.
A large group of journalists had gathered at the airport ahead of the workers' arrival on Friday. There were also a few people protesting the raid. One protester held up a banner showing Trump in the uniform of an immigration agent, with the caption: We're friends! Aren't we? Another banner read: Public outrage over detention of 300 Koreans, shackled up and treated like major criminals! Why shall [we] continue US investments after such back-stabbing?
The returning workers have requested privacy, with South Korea's foreign ministry advising media outlets to blur any photographs and videos to protect their identities.
Security was tight at the airport, with officers directing other travelers away from the area used by the returning workers.
Last week, US officials detained 475 people, more than 300 of whom were South Korean nationals, who they said were working illegally at Hyundai's battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in Georgia.
The workers were taken away in handcuffs and chains to be detained, sparking outrage in their home country.
Companies would be very hesitant about investing in the US following the raid, South Korea's president emphasized.
The foreign ministry in South Korea said they had called for the US Congress to support a new visa for Korean firms, as ongoing sensitive trade discussions take a new turn.
Meanwhile, Hyundai's chief executive José Muñoz stated that the raid will delay the factory's opening by at least two months due to the need to find new workers.
