EXPOSED: South Korea Furious, Kemp's $2B Deal in Jeopardy?

In this episode of BKP Politics on Voice of Rural America, host BKP unpacks the chaotic September 4, 2025, ICE raid at Hyundai's $7.6 billion Metaplant in Bryan County, Georgia, detaining 475 workers amid Trump's push for foreign investment; questions if Republican congressional candidate Tori Branum's tip-off to ICE fueled the operation, tying it to UAW unionization efforts at non-union plants; slams Gov. Brian Kemp's $2 billion incentive deal with Hyundai; and debates Trump's "hire American" message versus global tensions with 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea.
Massive ICE Raid at Hyundai Metaplant: 475 Detained in Largest Single-Site Operation in U.S. History BKP details the September 4, 2025, multi-agency raid at Hyundai in Bryan County, Georgia. Over 475 workers were detained, with most (around 300) being South Korean nationals on expired business/visitor visas or working illegally. Hyundai confirmed no direct employees were detained, blaming subcontractors, while BKP notes prior site deaths and safety violations.
Republican Candidate Tori Branum Claims Credit for Tipping Off ICE: Union Ties or Political Stunt? BKP questions if Tori Branum, a Republican candidate for Georgia's 12th Congressional District (which excludes Bryan County), sparked the raid by reporting alleged illegal hiring and unsafe conditions. Branum posted on social media and TikTok claiming responsibility, emphasizing union displacement for "cheap illegal labor" and predicting the raid a year ago. BKP connects this to broader UAW organizing drives, noting Branum's anti-union rhetoric despite Democrats' historical support; she faced online backlash and threats but defended it as protecting American jobs, calling it a "humanitarian raid" amid rumors of human trafficking concerns post-raid.
UAW's Aggressive Push to Unionize Hyundai's Non-Union Plants in the South: Exploiting Raid Fallout? BKP speculates on UAW involvement, highlighting their $40 million "Stand-Up" campaign since November 2023 to organize 150,000 non-union autoworkers at 13 plants, including Hyundai's Alabama (Montgomery: 30%+ signed cards) and Georgia facilities. The UAW issued a September 7, 2025, statement condemning Hyundai's "disgraceful record on worker safety" (citing three deaths in two years), poor conditions, and immigrant exploitation as raid reasons; they've filed unfair labor practice charges against Hyundai for obstructing efforts, alleging visa violations and safety issues to push unionization. BKP questions if unions introduced or overlooked illegals to undermine non-union sites, tying it to Branum's claims of subcontractors hiring cheap labor to avoid unions; UAW targets Southern EV/battery plants like Hyundai's, capitalizing on post-raid momentum amid right-to-work laws and GOP anti-union bills in Georgia.
Brian Kemp's Controversial $2 Billion Incentive Deal with Hyundai: BKP Slams the "King and Queen" BKP criticizes Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp (dubbed Georgia's "king and queen") for the Hyundai deal—the state's largest economic project—securing tax breaks, grants, and incentives (including Biden-era green energy credits) to build the EV/battery facility, projected to create 8,500 jobs by 2031. Similar to ex-Gov. Nathan Deal's Kia deal in Lafayette, Alabama border, lured Hyundai despite inadequate water/housing infrastructure. Kemp touted it as making Georgia the "EV capital". BKP argues it invited foreign investment but enabled illegal labor, potentially tarnishing Kemp's legacy amid Trump's tariffs.
South Korea's Outrage and Diplomatic Fallout: 300 Workers Repatriated Amid U.S. Tensions BKP notes South Korea's strong reaction, with 60% of citizens "disappointed" in the U.S. government per polls; President Lee Jae-myung ordered "all-out efforts," dispatching diplomats and chartering a plane to repatriate ~300 Korean nationals. BKP ties this to Trump's August 25, 2025, Oval Office meeting with Lee, where $350 billion in Korean investments were pledged; the raid strains alliances with 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea amid North Korea/China threats, questioning if it was Trump's "signal" for legal hiring.
Trump's Dual Strategy: Inviting Foreign Investment While Enforcing "Hire American" BKP praises Trump's daily calls to global automakers to build in the U.S. via startups or factories to avoid tariffs, contrasting rapid foreign attraction with slow domestic growth; the raid aligns with "hire American" messaging but risks setbacks, as BKP hopes for quick resolution with legal workers to avoid national delays. He rejects "slave labor" but debates work visas for skilled roles; notes differences between visitor visas (no U.S. work) and work visas, opposing Chinese student visas; emphasizes starting deportations at known migrant sites (NY hotels, Chicago motels) before broad sweeps, while supporting full enforcement of criminals.