Seoul, Sep 6: South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Saturday confirmed that more than 300 out of 457 people who were taken into custody in the US are South Korean nationals.
Cho also said that he may visit the United States to discuss with Washington the arrests of hundreds of Koreans by US immigration authorities at a South Korean battery plant site in Georgia.
“We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals,” Cho said at the start of the meeting, attended by two vice ministers, officials from the ministry and overseas missions.
“We will discuss sending a senior foreign ministry official to the site without delay, and, if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington to hold consultations with the US administration,” he said.
Cho said President Lee Jae Myung has instructed officials to make all-out efforts to swiftly resolve the matter, stressing that the rights and interests of South Korean nationals and the business operations of South Korean companies investing in the United States must not be infringed upon, reports Yonhap news agency.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na expressed regret and concern over the crackdown during a meeting with acting US Ambassador to Seoul Joseph Yun on Thursday, Cho said. (IANS)
