President Donald Trump proposed allowing hundreds of South Korean workers arrested in a recent U.S. immigration raid to remain in the country to help train American employees—but according to South Korean officials, only one worker has accepted the offer.

The U.S. president’s intervention prompted a temporary delay of a chartered flight originally scheduled to return the workers to South Korea. The flight was rescheduled for Thursday, giving authorities time to consider Trump’s last-minute proposal.

Roughly 300 South Koreans were among 475 workers detained during a major immigration raid last week at the Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution EV battery plant construction site in Georgia. The $4.3 billion facility is one of the largest economic development projects in the state’s history.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung confirmed the pause in repatriation, saying officials were weighing the implications of Trump’s offer. A foreign ministry source added that Trump had instructed U.S. authorities to “encourage” the workers to remain in the U.S. temporarily, potentially to train American staff involved in the complex battery plant rollout.

Despite the gesture, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized that returning home first was in the best interest of the workers.

“They can recover and then return if they wish,” Cho said after a meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to Yonhap News Agency, U.S. immigration authorities agreed not to handcuff the deportees en route to the airport—a departure from standard practice that was welcomed by South Korean officials and families of those detained.

The White House, State Department, and DHS all declined to comment on the developments.

The raid and its aftermath have sparked widespread concern in Seoul, casting a shadow over what had been hailed as deepening U.S.-Korea business ties. Executives from major Korean firms say the U.S.’s tight visa rules for foreign specialists are hampering project timelines, particularly for sophisticated manufacturing sites that rely on South Korean expertise.

Business leaders argue that skilled Korean workers are essential for launching advanced EV battery operations in the U.S., and that restrictive immigration policies may deter future investment.

As of now, while hundreds return home, the fate of U.S.-Korean industrial cooperation may hinge on how both countries reconcile security, immigration, and high-tech innovation.