Seoul: A senior official at South Korea's presidential office announced that negotiations have concluded for the release of South Korean workers detained during a recent U.S. immigration raid in Georgia. The official noted that a chartered plane is prepared to head to the United States once the necessary administrative procedures are completed.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik made the statement following the detention of hundreds of South Koreans during a raid conducted Thursday at a battery plant construction site in Bryan County. The site is operated by South Korean companies, including Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.

Kang outlined that there are still administrative steps to be finalized and stated at a senior-level meeting between South Korea's ruling Democratic Party and the government that the chartered plane would depart once these are resolved to facilitate the return of the detained nationals.

In response to the incident, Kang emphasized the importance of improving the visa system for South Korean nationals traveling to the U.S. for work to prevent the recurrence of similar situations in the future.

The raid led to the detention of more than 300 South Korean nationals out of a total of 457 people. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that those arrested were found working illegally, including individuals on short-term or recreational visas that do not permit employment.

U.S. officials described the operation as "the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations."