The South Korean government is none too pleased with Hyundai’s massive US investments, particularly as tensions linger with the Trump administration over a new trade deal. Indeed, one lawmaker has even gone so far as to accuse Hyundai of trying to curry favor with President Donald Trump.

Just two weeks after Hyundai’s massive plant in Georgia was raided by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and hundreds of Korean workers were detained, the automaker announced plans to boost its American investments by 32 percent, bringing the total to $11.6 billion.

This move landed awkwardly back home. Many in South Korea had warned that the raid could discourage local companies from expanding into the United States, and Hyundai’s timing only added to the unease.

Read: Turns Out 300 Of The ‘Illegal Aliens’ Detained At Hyundai Plant Are Koreans

While recently speaking with members of the press, South Korea’s industry minister Kim Jung-kwan described the timing of the investments as “deeply regrettable.”

“We told Hyundai that [its] conduct was deeply regrettable, especially considering that our efforts have been made for the sake of Hyundai and Kia’s industry,” Kim said. “I believe that Hyundai now fully understands the Korean public sentiment.”

According to the South China Morning Post, Korean officials have clashed with US counterparts over roughly $350 billion in American investments as Seoul seeks lower tariffs on Korean cars.

Who Benefits Most?

According to independent lawmaker Kim Jong-min, Hyundai’s investments weakened Korea’s leverage during trade talks. “Isn’t the Korea-US tariff negotiation essentially a negotiation concerning Hyundai?” he asked.

“Since Hyundai is the main player in this issue, I believe that the way Hyundai responded was not helpful to the negotiations.”

Hyundai has been particularly active on the investment front this year. In March, it pledged $21 billion to strengthen its automotive, steel, and robotics businesses. By August, that figure had grown to $26 billion, with a promise to create 25,000 direct jobs in the United States by 2028.

Sources: South China Morning Post

While most agree that the facelifted Model 3 that was unveiled two years ago is an improvement over the model it replaced, there’s one aspect that many dislike about the new model: the absence of a turn signal stalk. For some unexplained reason, Tesla decided to move the signals to the steering wheel. Others, like Ferrari, have done the same, but Elon Musk’s products are targeting a much wider audience.

Read: Tesla Quietly Brings Back Turn Signal Stalks To Model 3 After Years Of Complaints

However, much to our surprise, traditional stalks are making a comeback, but so far only on Asian-delivered Model 3s in three specific markets. This week, Tesla previewed an updated Model 3 that will be sold in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In its promotional material, the brand revealed that the tweaked Model 3 includes a stalk for the turn signal positioned on the steering column, just as it should be.

A Quiet Reversal

The reappearance of the stalk isn’t entirely new. Beyond keeping them on the refreshed Model Y, Tesla also quietly brought it back for the Chinese-market Model 3 in August, even offering retrofits for older cars at 2,499 yuan, or about $350. This rollout now extends to three more countries, suggesting Tesla has fully reintroduced the hardware into its production line.

In addition to reintroducing a stalk for the Model 3 in Asia, the company has fitted a front-facing camera on the bumper. It’s a feature Tesla fans have been requesting for years, and it should make squeezing into tight spaces noticeably less stressful.

What About The US?

Despite those changes in cars sold in Asia, Tesla has yet to confirm if it will make the same small additions to American ones, but we think it’d be weird not to. Evidently, it has found suppliers for these parts and has all the tooling to install them, so it’ll simply be a matter of adding them to US-built cars.

🔥 Tesla has launched an updated Model 3 in select Asian countries, featuring:

✅ Front bumper camera
✅ Turn signal stalk
✅ No front logo

Available in:
🇯🇵 Japan
🇰🇷 South Korea
🇹🇼 Taiwan https://t.co/0B0coCN0pc pic.twitter.com/xQJmgMZlbV

— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 1, 2025

Making performance more accessible, a new trim of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has landed in Korea with a lower price tag but no major compromises. Badged the Ioniq 5 N Essential, it holds onto the performance hardware and most of the high-end features, proving that an entry-level model doesn’t always mean stripped-down basics.

Same Look, Same Presence

Visually, the Essential is indistinguishable from the standard N. It wears the full body kit, full-LED lighting, and 21-inch forged alloys, so anyone hoping for bare steel wheels is out of luck. Step inside and the cabin follows the same script, complete with dual 12.3-inch displays, sports seats, leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and an eight-speaker Bose premium system fitted as standard.

More: Hyundai’s Pickup Plan Could Also Unleash A Rugged Off-Road SUV

Where the Essential trims back is in smaller conveniences. There’s no head-up display, wireless charging pad, or V2L connector, and the spec sheet also skips the digital key, second-row safety power windows, and the intelligent front lighting system. Even the driver assistance package has been simplified, though it still remains broadly equipped for everyday use.

No Change Under the Skin

Unsurprisingly, the underpinnings of the Ioniq 5 N remain unchanged. The two electric motors generate a combined 601 hp (448 kW / 609 PS) and there is a limited slip differential on the rear axle, while the battery pack has a capacity of 84 kWh. Furthermore, the performance EV retains all of the goodies that make it special, such as the N e-Shift, N Launch Control, N Pedal, N Drift Optimizer Pro, N Torque Distribution, and N Active Sound +.

Pricing Advantage

So what does the more attainable N actually cost? Factoring in local incentives, the Essential comes in at ₩74,900,000 ($53,700) in Korea, compared with ₩77,400,000 ($55,500) for the regular version. That translates to a saving of ₩2,500,000 ($1,800) while keeping the same visual impact and performance. For comparison, the sole US-market trim of the Ioniq 5 N currently starts at $66,200.

More: Veloster’s Reincarnation Could Arrive As An Ioniq 3 N Hot Hatch

Hyundai has also updated the Comfort Plus package, priced at ₩590,000 ($420), which now includes heated rear seats, window curtains, and an electrically folding rear bench. Buyers can also add Parking Assist Lite for ₩900,000 ($650), though this option excludes remote parking. Other extras include a protective film for ₩380,000 ($270), an Alcantara interior for ₩550,000 ($400), and a Walk-in Interior package at ₩300,000 ($350).

The Korean brand’s N lineup is expected to grow in the future with electric and combustion-powered models. After the recent debut of the Ioniq 6 N sedan, Hyundai has all but confirmed a smaller Ioniq 3 N hot hatch and a new generation of the i20 N with hybrid power.

The Trump administration urged global automakers to “build it in America”. The Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions did exactly that, pouring billions into US battery factories to power the EV transition.

More: ICE Storms Hyundai’s Georgia Plant Detaining Hundreds In Massive Immigration Raid

Then, last week, immigration officials raided a Georgia plant where the Korean group was working to ramp up production. The sweep led to the arrest of nearly 300 Korean nationals, triggered a diplomatic clash, and put projects across the country on hold.

Visa Trouble At The Factory

The raid saw the arrests of almost 500 individuals allegedly in the States illegally. Now that the dust has settled, it turns out that around 300 were Koreans in the country under ESTA or B-1 visas. These programs allow short-term business activity such as equipment installation and training. In other words, the workers were helping to get these plants up and running.

While some may have exceeded their visa limitations, others were lawfully present to help launch the facilities that the administration clamored for. According to Bloomberg, the move hasn’t just shaken things up at the Georgia factory, it’s also caused several plants to shut down. That’s because Korea is sending a plane to the US on Wednesday to bring home all detained workers. The CEO of the company is personally joining the trip.

“To see their employees treated like this, to the point of being banned from visiting the U.S. again, companies would feel humiliated and ashamed,” Chang Sang-sik, head of the Korea International Trade Association’s International Trade and Commerce Research Center, told the news outlet.

Engineers On Edge

According to Chang, top engineers are usually the first ones shipped over to get factories humming, but he warned that after this mess, convincing them to go stateside will be a hard sell, no matter how much pay or prestige is dangled.

“Unless there are clear guarantees that workers won’t face such a situation, it will be even more difficult for companies to invest in the U.S. going forward,” he said.

A worker who’s navigated the short-term visa process called it “completely unrealistic” to replace South Korea’s seasoned battery experts with fresh U.S. hires. He told Bloomberg that these projects depend on homegrown specialists to launch plants before American crews can keep them running. After the raids, he added, there’s no way he’d return without airtight paperwork.

Billions At Risk

The Georgia facility is just one piece of a much bigger LG Energy buildout. Other plants in Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio are supposed to start operations next year to supply Hyundai, GM, and Honda. At this point, those plants are reportedly stalled. LG has evidently told all workers and contractors in the US under the ESTA or B-1 visa program to return to Korea.

When and if they’ll come back is the big question now. Without them to be the vanguards of plant production ramp-up, billions could disappear into thin air. Since this goes against the Trump administration’s stated goals, we can’t help but wonder whether the raid was a wise idea…

US immigration authorities have detained at least 450 people in a raid at Hyundai’s new EV plant in Georgia. Atlanta’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that it had apprehended hundreds of “unlawful aliens,” but South Korea has expressed concern over reports that 30 of the detained were its country’s nationals.

ATFA Atlanta said it had joined forces with various federal organizations including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to perform the operation on September 4. The search warrant executed cited allegations of “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

Related: A Simple Traffic Stop Can Now End With Deportation In Florida

“Today @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of [around] 450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety,” ATFA Atlanta wrote on X.

A High-Profile Target

The raid took place at the $7.6 billion, 3,000-acre EV site opened by Hyundai close to Savannah last year. Agents were focused on the construction zone for the new battery plant that’s scheduled to open in 2026, and Hyundai claims the operation didn’t impact the neighboring EV plant, which currently produces the Ioniq 5 and 9.

Though US authorities haven’t released names or details of the 450 people it detained at the site, Korean media reports that 30 are Korean nationals, something that has alarmed the country’s lawmakers.

Diplomatic Tension

“The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations,” a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. South Korea sent diplomats to the site, BBC News reports.

President Trump pledged to deport undocumented migrants in the run-up to his 2024 election victory, but he has also said he welcomed foreign companies to set up manufacturing businesses inside the US, as Hyundai has done.

Atlanta ATF/Hyundai

Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6

— ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) September 4, 2025

The current 7-Series, known internally as the G70, might be one of BMW’s most debated designs in years, second only to the polarizing Bangle-era E65. While enthusiasts wait for the Neue Klasse facelift expected in 2026, the present model has taken on a different kind of spotlight in Korea, where it has been turned into an art car.

This one-off creation comes from a collaboration with Lee Kun-Yong, widely regarded as one of Korea’s most influential avant-garde artists. Known for performances that use his own body as a medium, Kun-Yong often translates movement into striking abstractions, most famously in his Bodyscape series.

More: This BMW Prototype Hides A Solid Secret

A fully electric BMW i7 equipped with the M Package became the 83-year-old artist’s mobile canvas. He designed a special wrap anchored in a vivid red base, which remains visible on the front and rear fenders, side skirts, roof pillars, and rear deck.

However, the rest of the vehicle sports paintings with faces, hearts, leaves, and abstract shapes that cover the doors, the bumpers, the lower portion of the tailgate and the hood. Each side of the large executive sedan is unique, resulting in an asymmetrical layout.

According to BMW, the artist’s goal was to “reflect the precision and responsiveness inherent in the dialogue between driver and car, drawing parallels to his own artistic practice”.

Kun-Yong said that he views art as “a bridge between different objects, different people and even different perspectives,” and hopes the collaboration creates new points of connection between art and technology.

Exhibition In Seoul

The colorful i7 will be exhibited at the BMW Lounge in Seoul, Korea, between September 3 and 6, alongside a collection of 18 miniature art cars. Furthermore, Lee Kun-Yong will create a new canvas as part of a live show on September 4, taking inspiration from his work on the vehicle.

More: If You Thought The Star-Studded CLA Was Bad, Look At This Piece Of…Art

This year, the Bavarian automaker is celebrating 50 years of BMW Art Cars with a global exhibition program, and the 30 years of BMW Korea. For this reason, it is organizing an art fair that will be held at the Gagman district of Seoul, including 120 galleries from 30 countries. Finally, local artist Crush, known for creating a blend of pop, R&B and hip hop music, will perform at the latest edition of Frieze Music in Seoul on September 5.

BMW