South Korea and U.S. Trade Blame Over Georgia Immigration Raids and Policy Disputes

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio greeted South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at the State Department in Washington on July 31, 2025. Cho Hyun told a parliamentary inquiry in September 2025 that the United States no longer engages in the same level of cooperation with allies as in the past.

The remarks followed the arrest of more than 300 Korean workers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Hyundai plant in Georgia. President Lee Jae-myung, sworn in last summer, has called for South Korea to develop a strong, self-reliant defense.

He ignored President Trump’s request for South Korean naval assistance in the Persian Gulf during the Iran war and criticized the conduct of Israel. At the United Nations, South Korea voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as a full member state. Lee Jae-myung met President Trump for 90 minutes at the Group of Seven banquet in Évian-les-Bains, France, on June 17, 2026.

Lee told Trump that sanctions and pressure against North Korea are ineffective. Five days later, Lee visited Yeonpyeong Island near the maritime border with North Korea. In 2021, Lee referred to the United States as an occupying force.

He has said Korean firms would be very hesitant to invest in the United States after the Georgia raid. Youngshik Bong, a visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies, said the majority of Korean politicians have become emboldened toward the United States.

Decisions but has recently decided to make its voice heard. Cheehyung Harrison Kim, a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said Lee appears to have decided the Trump administration cannot be trusted on global or economic issues. A data breach at Coupang affected 33 million customer accounts in South Korea.