Overview
- ICE detained hundreds of South Korean workers at a Hyundai–LG battery facility in Ellabell, Georgia, with agency video showing some shackled, triggering public outrage in Seoul.
- South Korea had recently pledged major U.S. investments and energy purchases; Foreign Minister Cho Hyun traveled to Washington to secure releases, and Seoul arranged a chartered flight for repatriation.
- The White House insists trade will not be affected, yet experts warn allies are hedging and reassessing reliance on Washington, including cultivating closer ties with China.
- Tensions with India have intensified after a 50% U.S. tariff tied to New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases, as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal declared India would not bow to pressure.
- The policy mix has exposed a visa bottleneck for skilled workers that complicates U.S.-backed factory projects, and analysts caution the strain could even jeopardize a planned Trump visit to India.