INCHEON – A group of 330 people, including 316 South Korean citizens, were reunited with their families at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday, eight days after being detained by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia. The group also included 14 foreign nationals.

Upon their arrival, Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President, offered an apology, stating, "We did our best, but we are sorry that we could not bring you back home sooner." He added that the government would look into providing psychological support for the returnees. Kang confirmed that no significant health issues were found among the returnees, though a pregnant woman was among them and was accommodated in first class for comfort. He noted that one Korean citizen chose to remain in the U.S. to seek bail through a private lawyer.

Wi Seong-rak, National Security Advisor, told reporters that the government had raised concerns with the U.S. about the detention of vulnerable individuals like the pregnant woman. He stated that South Korea would work with the U.S. to establish clear guidelines for short-term business visas (B-1) and ESTA to ensure consistent enforcement by U.S. law enforcement agencies. He also mentioned seeking improvements to the current visa system, such as shortening processing times, reducing reasons for denial, and creating new visa categories for small businesses.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun confirmed that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had agreed that the detainees would not face any future disadvantages when attempting to re-enter the U.S., a promise he said would be upheld.

The difficult conditions of the detention center were highlighted by one of the returnees, a 50-year-old man identified as Mr. Jeon. He told reporters that more than 300 Koreans were separated into groups. "The detention environment was, in a word, the worst," he said, describing how as many as 70 people shared a single room. "It was very difficult."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]