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As one worker glanced through his office window and saw security trucks and immigration agents running around with firearms, he was surprised, yet unconcerned.

This South Korean individual was certain it had unrelated to do with him. Youngjin was in the US just for a short period on a temporary visa, he reflected to himself.

Then, the armed agents burst into his room and ordered him outside. They handcuffed him, before attaching restraints to his waist and legs, and loaded him onto a vehicle headed for a holding centre.

"I was terrified and my mind went blank. I felt sick," he told during a discussion, now back in South Korea.

"I couldn't understand why I was being handled like this."

The worker is one of over 300 Korean employees who were arrested in the American state of the Southern state earlier this month, in among of the biggest enforcement operations during the recent presidency to date. Youngjin and others spoken with for this article preferred not to disclose their real names in order to protect their privacy.

'Helicopters and UAVs… People With Firearms'

American officials initially claimed the workers had been in the country illegally on improper documents, but later the parties reached a deal permitting them to depart without force without any consequences, so they could return to work there in the coming years.

Most of the personnel were in the US for a short time, assisting to construct an EV power facility run by two Korean firms, an automaker and LG – a segment of a US initiative to get foreign companies to put money and manufacture more in the country.

The company indicated that a large number of its staff who were detained had various kinds of visas or were under a visa waiver programme. Therefore they were particularly surprised by the operation.

"We just came out for a short break and I could see a lot of people, agents with weapons. As South Koreans, we just assumed they were here to detain criminals, but then, they abruptly started detaining us," said another detainee, who was also detained that day.

Chul-yong said they attempted to clarify who they were, but they were frightened: "There were choppers and unmanned aircraft, armoured trucks… officers with firearms."

There were some agents aiming guns at workers, he claimed. "You know those red dots that come out from those firearms? It was so alarming that some individuals were trembling in fear."

Including those who were able to share their visa information said they were taken into custody. "I thought everything would be resolved but instead, they without warning restrained us," said another worker involved, who just wanted to give his surname.

The detainee said there was a shackle around his ankles and another around his waist, linked to handcuffs. "It was so constricting, I was unable to touch my head with my hands."

Each of them said they had no idea why this was happening, or where they were being taken. "Eventually I discovered that I was held at the a specific ICE Detention Facility," mentioned Chul-yong. Chul-yong had been planning to stay for about a 30 days but was detained on his sixth day there.

'It Was Very Cold... The Water Had an Odor Like Sewage

Youngjin, a specialist and sub-contractor for the company, was scheduled to be there for over a month to train personnel to use some of the specialist advanced machinery.

The 30-year-old was shaking, even visibly distressed, as he described his transfer to the holding centre and locked in a cell with dozens of other people.

"I had a anxiety episode. I just remained there trembling," he said. The room was extremely cold, and the recent detainees were not provided coverings for the initial days, he noted.

"I was wearing short sleeves, so I put my limbs inside my garments and covered myself in a towel to try to keep heated at during the evening," he said. "Most difficult aspect was the liquid. It smelt like sewage. We drank as little as possible."

The bunk beds were all taken, Chul-yong said, by the time he arrived, forcing him and others to locate any empty spot to rest, even an unused surface where they could put their head down.

"We tried to rest anywhere, truly. It was really cold. There were people who located packaged food, heated it up in the oven, hugging it throughout the night."

During the first few days, the worker had little clue how much time he would be detained for. He feared it might be a long period. Only after a number of the detainees were able to consult lawyers and diplomatic officials, did they understand their authorities was cooperating with the US authorities to get them released.

"Even the American authorities feels it may have gone a bit too far," the nation's chief trade representative informed the media after returning from the US. South Korea states it is now investigating possible human rights violations during the operation by US officers.

The administration acknowledged the necessity to have experts from overseas train up US workers, and according to Korean representatives, American Deputy Official of State a senior diplomat has expressed his "deep regrets" over the event.

Nevertheless, it has damaged relations between the US and Korea, usually strong allies, especially since it occurred hard on the aftermath of a economic deal in which Korean companies pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States.

Mr Kim believed his work was allowed by his B-1 permit - and contended it made little logic for the authorities to detain hundreds of individuals without verifying their roles in the factory.

Another individual, who was in the United States on a 90-day permit-exempt scheme, is adamant he did no wrong. "I only attended discussions and gave training presentations," he said, noting this was within the terms of the arrangement. "My confidence in the United States has been deeply undermined. I don't think it's a reliable partner for South Korea."

Even though back with his family, the engineer is still struggling to come to terms with what occurred to him. At the time he saw them at the airport after arriving home on Friday night, he said he smiled and {hug