A chartered plane departed Seoul for the United States Wednesday to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid, flag carrier Korean Air told AFP.

South Koreans made up the majority of people arrested at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in the US state of Georgia last week, according to immigration agents.

The operation was the largest single-site raid conducted under US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, according to an investigating agent.

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8I, which seats over 350 passengers, left from Seoul Wednesday, a company representative told AFP.

"The chartered plane left around 10:20 am for the US," said the spokeswoman.

"A timeline for the return flight has not been finalised," she added.

Local media broadcas

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