South Korea chooses to bring ‘exhausted and in-shock’ workers home after plant raid

It has now emerged that Trump asked his officials to “encourage” the detained South Korean workers to extend their stay in the country and train American employees, foreign ministry officials in Seoul said at a briefing.

The president “emphasised that the detained Korean nationals were skilled workers and suggested they either remain in the U.S. to contribute to training the American workforce or be returned to South Korea, depending on Seoul’s stance”, a South Korean official said, according to the Financial Times.

Many of the arrested workers were exhausted and in shock and foreign minister Cho Hyun suggested that they instead return immediately to their home country. They could be allowed to go back to the U.S. for work later if necessary, the officials said.