The last-minute hitches put the departure of some 300 people in limbo, almost a week after an immigration raid at a Hyundai site.

South Korea's negotiations to finalise a U.S. trade deal are being held up due to foreign exchange issues and Seoul has asked Washington to help find a way to cap any market impact from a $350 billion investment package,

South Korea is working with U.S. authorities to bring home hundreds of Korean workers detained in an immigration raid in the state of Georgia, though it will be difficult to fly them back on Wednesday,