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Comment by Eextra953 | Hacker News Reader

Clearly this is a huge deal for Korea, their news sites have been talking about it non-stop since it happened and they've zeroed in on the humiliation and treatment of their people. The workers arrested weren't just laborers they were skilled labor and engineers which is another point they keep coming to. I've seen stories point out how they were shackled and forced to lick water from plates. As a tech worker in manufacturing I know that the entire industry depends on cross-training and manufacturing with other countries, sending engineers to and from is everyday practice. If the administration keeps with their policies then manufacturing will be affected negatively.

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> weren't just laborers

I'm trying to read that in a charitable way: you're pointing out that, to a person who is fine with being cruel to laborers, they might not be comfortable with the cruelty and humiliation if it impacts people they might find deserving of respect and decency, yeah?

yes, this is korean culture (and other asian countries too)

we also expect white collar workers to be treated differently than blue collar workers. even if we agree that this particular treatment is unacceptable for both.

> we also expect white collar workers to be treated differently than blue collar workers.

How should we treat someone (a Korean in this particular case) who doesn't wear his collar ? "Sorry i struck you, but you didn't wear your white collar. Better luck next time". What if a blue collar worker wears a white collar ? Is he excepted from humiliation ?

Treating people like animals makes you an animal.

are you unfamiliar with the term blue collar/white collar, or are you being sarcastic? i don't mind the sarcasm, i just want to make sure i understand you correctly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-collar_worker

you would not treat animals like that either, btw.

I'm roughly in the same camp and my take is: it's wrong when you're being cruel to migrant workers from poor countries willing to work for pennies.

It's also wrong, but not just that, it's wrong and stupid when you do the same thing to employees of a multi-national corporation building a factory that was going to be a major economic boost to your town.

No - Here is a charitable way to read it:

The Koreans are not responsible for the cruelty US immigration imposes on its victims- it’s not their country or fight.

It’s US internal affairs and laws, Korea is involved only in looking out for its own citizens.

The Hyundai workers were still working for and being paid Hyundai - so they didn’t “need” to skirt US immigration law.

My Korean colleagues have been asking me to explain this case to them, and I haven't been able to dig up enough reliable info to give much of an answer. I do think I can give a less inflammatory explanation for the shackling, though.

ICE sweeps mostly pick up undocumented laborers in the fields and factories. The people have nothing to lose by trying to run away, as they as just going to be deported anyway. So it stands to reason they would be restrained upon arrest. Documented workers on the other hand have a great deal to lose by further aggravating their situation. It is extremely unlikely that a documented worker would try to run away. However, I expect that ICE has to use the same procedures on all demographic groups to avoid charges racial discrimination.

Ah, ICE, so very sensitive to charges of racial discrimination.

Now that it's legal for ICE to racially discriminate do you think they will change their procedures? Or do you think ICE is more worried about the public perception of discrimination rather than the legality?

Can you share the link to the 'plate licking' article? It's ok if it's in Korean.

It could be this one? (I used DeepL for translation)

> "With his hands and waist bound together, he had to lower his head and lap at the water..."

https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1218653.... ("Not even a scrap of cloth in the toilet, not even a protest… What have we done wrong? / Human rights violations reported by detained workers")

Or possibly this adjacent one,

https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1218738.... ("Spider carcass found in drinking water at Korean detention facility… Guard mocks inmate: ‘You'll be Spider-Man, won't you?’"

On time.com article is titled: 'Nobody Is Going to Stay and Work When It’s Like This’: South Koreans Reluctant to Return After Harrowing ICE Detention'

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