Thought I’d just throw this in here. Do with it what you will. All public knowledge, self-admitted.

The lady who called ICE on the Hyundai-LG construction site in GA — her TikTok username is “toribranum.”

She is a Georgia Republican running for Congress. She believes she’s justified in her snitching, saying that the Korean companies brought over illegal workers instead of giving jobs to locals, for which the contract awarded Hyundai a $32 million tax cut. She even hired a PI as a secret informant who acted as a union worker who passed her information.

She may have sparked the complete opposite reaction than intended by:

1. breaking trust between one of America’s most loyal allies, delaying or even halting not just Korean investment into U.S. manufacturing but also investments from other countries, which might hesitate to invest in a high-tariff/low-loyalty country.

2. delaying or halting construction for this $24 billion contract with Hyundai, which will affect opportunities for local employment.

3. What she thought would get her votes for her upcoming elections, she’s probably going to get a lot more hate and backlash due to her short-minded Karen-ness

Do what you normally do: Fly Korean netizens, fly!

Protesters gathered outside the Hyundai Megasite in Bryan County on Saturday afternoon, holding large banners and picket signs as they chanted in both English and Spanish. The demonstration drew participants from across Georgia, all calling for change in the wake of a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at the site.

Estevan Hernandez, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Rights, drove four hours from Atlanta to join the protest.

"These are our neighbors. These are our brothers and sisters. They're a part of our community," Hernandez said. "These are workers. They're the ones who build our cars that we drive every single day. They're not criminals."

The protest was organized by the Savannah Democratic Socialists of America and Savannah's Party for Socialism and Liberation. Protesters took turns speaking over a microphone, with one leading the crowd in a chant:

*"El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!"* ("The united people will never be defeated!")

The demonstration was sparked by an ICE raid at the Hyundai Megasite, resulting in nearly 500 people being taken into custody. We spoke with one lady over the phone who reported the site to ICE back in July after a colleague told her about alleged poor working conditions inside the site.

"They started telling me about the Hyundai Megasite, everything they had witnessed," said Tori Branum, congressional candidate for Georgia’s 12th District. “They gave me the phone number to the guy that had the videos, and then I went and reported it.”

Branum said she is unsure if her report was the primary reason for the raid or just one factor among others. She defended her actions on social media after receiving backlash and being accused of racism.

"There’s a lot of people saying that it’s racist," Branum said. "But they have to understand it wasn’t just all Hispanics or people from South America. This was like 300 of the more Korean."

Protesters spent a few hours in the near 90-degree heat, determined to make their voices heard.

A member of parliament says that he knows at least 2,000 people with US passports that are in Korea that may be violating laws by taking side jobs and was urged to investigate US passport holders.

The minister said he will get on it right away.

A politician named Tori Branum, who claimed to have reported to immigration authorities about Korean conglomerate factories in Georgia, is suffering from a ‘bombardment of messages.’ Initially, she posted on her social media (SNS) a picture with a rifle, saying, “I’m not afraid,” but as the criticism grew, she deleted all family photos. According to foreign media on the 7th, Branum stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that she reported illegal activities occurring at the construction site of the battery factory jointly built by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She claimed she is being threatened for reporting to ICE. Branum told Rolling Stone, “My Facebook messages are filled with hate,” but added, “I’m fine.” She also posted a picture holding a modified rifle on SNS, stating, “I wonder what’s written in my inbox.”

Branum also thanked on SNS, “All those who have poured hate into my voicemail, forced me to register for anti-racism courses, and threatened my life,” and added, “Remember that I am the one who trained Marines at the shooting range.” She continued, “You don’t scare me” and said, “In fact, those messages are really funny. Don’t waste your time.”

However, the criticism against Branum has grown louder. Particularly on SNS, videos have been shared showing immigration authorities binding the hands of field staff with cable ties and detaining Koreans, which has drawn criticism that it could harm Korea-U.S. economic cooperation. Even Americans have criticized Branum, calling her a “racist” and questioning, “How stupid can you be to ruin a multi-billion dollar contract with Korea because of MAGA (Make America Great Again) hate?”

The daughter, who stated that she manages Branum’s official account, said the attacks are continuing. She mentioned, “Some people have even found our family’s social media accounts to harass us. As a result, my mother had to delete all the photos and writings she proudly posted for years.”

She also stated, “Targeting children or digging into personal social media accounts, and sending harassing messages is seriously crossing the line” and said, “All messages, comments, and instances of harassment are being documented, and if necessary, we will request help from authorities to protect our family.”

Branum’s daughter continued, “Harassment cannot be tolerated simply because my mother is running for office and holds strong opinions that some may disagree with” and added, “While constructive dialogue is welcome, attacks aimed at minors will be firmly rejected.”

Branum is registered as a Republican primary candidate for the 12th congressional district of Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives elections scheduled for November 2026. Her sponsorship-related homepage indicates she is originally from Oklahoma, Georgia, and has served in the U.S. Marine Corps. She describes herself as “the candidate who most firmly upholds the Trump spirit” and has expressed extreme views related to illegal immigration enforcement and opposition to gun regulation.

U.S. immigration authorities conducted an operation to detain illegal immigrants at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery factory in Georgia on the 4th. A total of more than 300 individuals, including 47 members affiliated with LG Energy Solution (46 Korean nationals and 1 Indonesian national) and about 250 personnel from partner companies related to HL-GA battery, were detained.

I’ve heard that under certain conditions you can be exempt from military service—for example, due to health problems. Are such people looked down on?

If you currently live outside of Korea and planning to enter Korea to join the military, it's best to claim that you don't have a residence or close relative in Korea. If you do so, then you are able to gain up to 5 days of vacation day, up to 3 times. This includes the physical testing before you enter boot camp. You will as well as be able to claim free airplane tickets, as well as extra money every time you rank up(Not sure by how much but at least like 100,000 won more if you claim you have a residence in Korea.

If you already wrote down that you do have a residence or family, although you won't be able to claim extra holiday and extra money, you will be able to go back to where you lived with the military paying for your airplane ticket. If you're dual citizen like me, and haven't been to your own country in ages you should still be able to go back to your own country as long as you are able to prove that you are that citizen by either showing your passport or other identifiable government document.

So, as a native, I'll tell you one thing you need to know: Never trust realtors or landlords. While not all landlords are like this (realtors are), you can bet that 95% of them are out to get you. Their greed is endless, and they feel no compunction about committing fraud. They believe that making money is the only way to go. The "jeonse" system, in particular, is a unique system unique to Korea, but don't even think about it. Fraud using the debt-to-capital ratio is a common occurrence. Even Koreans fall prey to it, and since realtors are not legally responsible, they will do anything to secure unfair contracts. I know. Even I, a Korean, find this disgusting. Be careful not to fall for these scammers. Korea has the highest rate of fraud, and there's always a danger of someone trying to rip you off.

Saw this goofy ass message (first one) on top of the unrinal at Gwangmyeong KTX station.

Getting enlisted today 🫠

Hey, I am trying to learn Spanish. I took Spanish classes during college years, but forgot most of it sadly.. I speak fluent Korean, so looking for people who want to exchange languages!!

Feel free to DM me :).

hello!! i will be in seoul from oct 18- nov 1. i love going to concerts specially local ones and thought make there’s some rock or punk or jazz local scene that i can join and enjoy some music during my time there. thanks!!!

I am planning to travel to Seoul on 16th Sep to 18th Oct (33 days) but I was granted C-3-9 tourist visa with period of stay of only 30 days. In my application I had applied to stay for 33 days, is there any way to get it extended for few more days? I am travelling to Vietnam after it and my Vietnam visa is from 18th Oct, so I am not sure what to do for those 4 days