India, Sept. 11 -- On US immigration raids at South Korean manufacturing plants in the US, South Korea's leadership pushed back gently but firmly after adding that the action sparked confusion and concern among businesses and officials in both countries.

President Lee and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun pointed to what they describe as a "cultural difference" in how immigration enforcement is understood and handled in the United States.

While in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign Minister Cho suggested that the detained Korean workers could return home to recover and, if they wished, come back to the US later under proper legal conditions, a South Korean official said.

Cho also assured the public that the wo...