The foreign ministry says it is in consultations with the United States to send a chartered plane to bring home the 300 or so South Koreans detained in a recent U.S. immigration raid, though the exact timing has not yet been decided.
A ministry official told reporters on Monday that detailed consultations are underway to ensure the safe, speedy return of all the South Korean citizens.
The official said that once administrative procedures in the U.S. are completed, the government plans to bring them all home as soon as possible.
The South Koreans will return home through “voluntary departure” under U.S. immigration law, according to the official.
The official said consular interviews have been conducted for about 250 individuals who requested them, adding that no health problems, complaints about detention conditions, or human rights violations have been reported so far.
The Seoul government has repeatedly asked U.S. immigration authorities to ensure that the South Korean detainees are not subject to poor conditions or unfair treatment, the official added.
