South Korea said on Monday that it wants hundreds of its citizens, who were arrested last week during a large US immigration raid at a car battery project and are due to be flown home soon, to be allowed to re-enter the United States.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is flying out to Washington on Monday evening and will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his trip to resolve the issue. Cho also said he would be asking for the US visa system for Korean workers to be streamlined in the future.

About 300 South Koreans were among 475 arrested on Thursday at the site of a $4.3 billion project by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution to build batteries for electric cars. It was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security’s investigative operations.

The raid sent shockwaves through South Korea, a major US ally, which has been trying to finalise a US trade deal agreed in late July. It came just 10 days after South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, met with US President Donald Trump in Washington and the two pledged closer business ties.

In addition to potentially fraying bilateral ties, the development has shed fresh light on how many foreign firms investing in the US have struggled to find qualified American workers.

Seoul said on Sunday that discussions to arrange the release of workers, who were mostly employed by subcontractors, were largely concluded. A plan is in the works to fly them home on a chartered plane this week under what one South Korean foreign ministry official said would be called a “voluntary departure”.

“From the beginning, we negotiated with the premise that there should be no personal disadvantage (to the detained workers),” Cho told a parliamentary hearing on Monday.

Details on how the workers may have breached immigration rules have not been released by authorities or the companies, but South Korean lawmakers on Monday said some may have overstepped the boundaries of a 90-day visa waiver programme or a B-1 temporary business visa.

South Korea Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Monday that he had heard that some experts had travelled from South Korea to help with a test run of the factory, which was due to begin production in October.

“You need to get a visa to do a test run, but it’s very difficult to get an official visa. Time was running out, and I think experts went to the United States,” he said.

Dismay in South Korea

Seoul has expressed its unhappiness about the arrests and the public release of footage showing the operation which involved armoured vehicles and the shackling of workers.

Trump, who has ramped up deportations nationwide as his administration cracks down on illegal immigrants, said last week he had not been aware of the raid. He called those detained “illegal aliens”.

On Sunday, he called on foreign companies investing in the US to “respect our Nation’s immigration laws”, but sounded more conciliatory.

“Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build world-class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” he said on Truth Social.

Hyundai Motor is one of the biggest foreign investors in the United States and is among South Korean companies participating in a pledge of $150 billion in foreign direct investment in the US, which comes on top of a $350 billion fund that the South Korean government has separately pledged.

A spokesperson for the automaker said some staff had been asked to suspend non-essential trips to the United States.

LGES has also suspended most staff business trips to the US and will be recalling South Korea-based employees now in the country.

The battery maker said last week it is cooperating with US authorities and had paused construction work on the factory.

A Hyundai Motor spokesperson said last week none of the people detained were employed directly by the automaker and that production of electric vehicles at the sprawling site was not affected.

The companies declined further comment on Monday.

The MTV Video Music Awards have been annouced Lady Gaga, being the top winner of the night, securing four big wins.

The event, which was LL Cool J, was held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, On September 7, 2025.

Here’s a complete list of winners from the 2025 MTV VMAs:

Video of the Year

WINNER- Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Billie Eilish – BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless

Song of the Year

Alex Warren – Ordinary

Billie Eilish – BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Doechii – Anxiety

Ed Sheeran – Sapphire

Gracie Abrams – I Love You, I’m Sorry

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With A Smile

Lorde – What Was That

Tate McRae – Sports Car

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless

WINNER – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny

Beyoncé

Kendrick Lamar

Morgan Wallen

Taylor Swift

The Weeknd

WINNER – Lady Gaga

Best New Artist

Ella Langley

Gigi Perez

Lola Young

sombr

The Marías

WINNER – Alex Warren

Best Pop Artist

Ariana Grande

Charli xcx

Justin Bieber

Lorde

Miley Cyrus

Sabrina Carpenter

Tate McRae

MTV Push Performance of the Year

Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song

Mark Ambor – Belong Together

Lay Bankz – Graveyard

Dasha – Bye Bye Bye

WINNER – KATSEYE – Touch

Jordan Adetunji – KEHLANI

Leon Thomas – YES IT IS

Livingston – Shadow

Damiano David – Next Summer

Gigi Perez – Sailor Song

ROLE MODEL – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out

Best Collaboration

Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – luther

WINNER-Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile

Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – Pour Me a Drink

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco – Sunset Blvd

Best Pop

Alex Warren – Ordinary

WINNER-Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Ed Sheeran – Sapphire

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Hip-Hop

WINNER-Doechii – Anxiety

Drake – NOKIA 

Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me

GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

LL COOL J ft. Eminem – Murdergram Deux

Travis Scott – 4X4

Best R&B

Chris Brown – Residuals

Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – MUTT (REMIX)

PARTYNEXTDOOR – N o C h i l l

Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman

SZA – Drive

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless

WINNER – Mariah Carey – Type Dangerous

Best Alternative

Gigi Perez – Sailor Song

Imagine Dragons – Wake Up

Lola Young – Messy

mgk & Jelly Roll – Lonely Road

The Marías – Back to Me

WINNER – sombr – back to friends

Best Rock

Coldplay – ALL MY LOVE

Evanescence – Afterlife (From the Netflix Series ‘Devil May Cry’)

Green Day – One Eyed Bastard

Lenny Kravitz – Honey

Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine

twenty one pilots – The Contract

Best Latin

Bad Bunny – BAILE INoLVIDABLE

J Balvin – Rio

KAROL G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido

Peso Pluma – LA PATRULLA

Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – Khé?

WINNER – Shakira – Soltera

Best K-Pop

aespa – Whiplash

JENNIE – like JENNIE

Jimin – Who

JISOO – earthquake

WINNER – LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – Born Again

Stray Kids – Chk Chk Boom

ROSÉ – toxic till the end

Best Afrobeats

Asake & Travis Scott – Active

Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – TaTaTa

MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)

Rema – Baby (Is It a Crime)

Tems ft. Asake – Get It Right

WINNER – Tyla – PUSH 2 START

Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – Piece of My Heart

Best Country

Chris Stapleton – Think I’m in Love with You

Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – I’m Gonna Love You

Jelly Roll – Liar

Lainey Wilson – 4x4xU

WINNER – Megan Moroney – Am I Okay?

Morgan Wallen – Smile

Best Album

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem

WINNER – Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet

The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

Best Long Form Video

WINNER – Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)

Damiano David – FUNNY little STORIES

Mac Miller – Balloonerism

Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful

The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

Video for Good

Burna Boy – Higher

WINNER – Charli XCX – Guess featuring Billie Eilish

Doechii – Anxiety

Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me

Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco – Younger and Hotter Than Me

Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – Sleepwalking

Song of the Summer

Addison Rae – Headphones On

Alex Warren – Ordinary

Benson Boone – Mystical Magical

BigXthaPlug & Bailey Zimmerman – All the Way

Chappell Roan – The Subway

Demi Lovato – Fast

Doja Cat – Jealous Type

Huntr/x – Golden

Jessie Murph – Blue Strips

Justin Bieber – Daisies

Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)

Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae – What I Want

Ravyn Lenae Featuring Rex Orange County – Love Me Not

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Sombr – 12 to 12

WINNER: Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1® the Movie)

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Charli XCX – Guess featuring Billie Eilish

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

WINNER – Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Art Direction

Charli XCX – Guess featuring Billie Eilish

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

WINNER _ Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Lorde – Man of the Year

Miley Cyrus – End of the World

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

Best Cinematography

Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Ed Sheeran – Sapphire

WINNER – Kendrick Lamar – Not Like U

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Miley Cyrus – Easy Lover

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Editing

Charli XCX – Guess featuring Billie Eilish

Ed Sheeran – Sapphire

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

WINNER – Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (from ‘F1® The Movie’)

Best Choreography

WINNER – Doechii – Anxiety

FKA twigs – Eusexua

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Tyla – PUSH 2 START

Zara Larsson – Pretty Ugly

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT.

WINNER – Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild