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When one worker looked through his office window and saw armoured trucks and enforcement officers running around with guns, he was stunned, but unconcerned.

The young individual was convinced it was unrelated to do with him. Youngjin was in the United States just for a short period on a short-term visa, he reflected to himself.

Then, those weapon-carrying officers burst into his room and ordered him out. They restrained him, then attaching restraints to his waist and legs, and placed him onto a vehicle bound for a detention facility.

"I was terrified and my thoughts went blank. I felt sick," he told in an interview, now back in South Korea.

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

Youngjin is one of more than 300 Korean employees who were detained in the US state of the Southern state earlier this month, in one of the largest immigration raids during Donald Trump's administration to date. Youngjin and others interviewed for this report didn't want to reveal their full names in order to protect their identity.

'Helicopters and UAVs… People With Guns

American officials initially claimed the individuals had been in the nation illegally on improper visas, but eventually the parties struck a agreement allowing them to depart voluntarily free from any consequences, so they could return to work there in the coming years.

Most of the workers were in the United States for a short time, assisting to construct an EV battery facility run by a pair of South Korean companies, an automaker and LG – a segment of a US initiative to encourage international businesses to invest and produce more in the country.

LG indicated that a large number of its employees who were detained had various types of permits or were under a permit-free programme. Therefore they were especially shocked by the raid.

"We just came out for a brief break and I could see a lot of people, agents with guns. As South Koreans, we just assumed they were here to arrest lawbreakers, but after that, they suddenly started arresting us," said Chul-yong, who was also taken that day.

He said they attempted to clarify who they were, but they were frightened: "There were choppers and drones, security trucks… officers with firearms."

We noticed some officers pointing weapons at workers, he stated. "You know those laser dots that emit from those firearms? It was so alarming that some individuals were shivering in fear."

Even those who were able to share their visa information said they were arrested. "I believed everything would be resolved but instead, they suddenly shackled us," said another worker detained, who only wanted to reveal his last name.

Chul-yong said there was a restraint around his ankles and one more around his body, connected to restraints. "It was so constricting, I couldn't touch my head with my arms."

Each of them said they had no idea why this was happening, or where they were being transported. "I later learned that I was held at the a specific ICE Processing Center," mentioned the software engineer. Chul-yong had been planning to remain for about a 30 days but was detained on his sixth day there.

'It Was Freezing... The Water Smelt Like Sewage

Youngjin, an engineer and sub-contractor for the company, was planned to be there for five weeks to educate personnel to operate some of the specialized high-tech machinery.

This engineer was shaking, even clearly distressed, as he described being taken to the holding center and confined in a cell with dozens of other detainees.

"I had a panic attack. I just stood there shaking," he said. The area was extremely cold, and the new detainees were not given blankets for the first two days, he added.

"I was in short sleeves, so I tucked my limbs inside my clothes and covered myself in a towel to try to stay warm at during the evening," he said. "Most difficult aspect was the water. It smelt like sewage. We consumed as minimally as possible."

Those sleeping areas were all occupied, another detainee said, by the moment he got there, forcing him and fellow detainees to locate any empty space to sleep, including an empty surface where they could lay their head down.

"We tried to sleep wherever possible, truly. It was really cold. There were individuals who located packaged food, heated it up in the microwave, holding it throughout the evening."

For the initial days, Youngjin had no idea how long he would be detained for. He worried it might be a long period. Only after some of the detainees were able to meet lawyers and diplomatic officials, that they understand their government was cooperating with the US officials to get them released.

"Including the American side feels it may have gone a somewhat too far," the nation's lead economic representative told reporters after coming back from the United States. Seoul states it is now reviewing possible human rights violations during the raid by American officers.

Trump recognized the necessity to have experts from overseas train up American workers, and as per Korean representatives, US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Landau has conveyed his "deep apologies" over the incident.

Still, it has shaken relations between the US and South Korea, typically strong allies, especially since it occurred hard on the aftermath of a trade agreement in which South Korean firms pledged to contribute $350bn in the United States.

Mr Kim believed his activities was permitted by his B-1 visa - and contended it made little logic for the authorities to arrest hundreds of individuals without verifying their roles in the plant.

Younjin, who was in the US on a 90-day permit-exempt scheme, is firm he did no illegal. "I only participated in discussions and gave instructional presentations," he said, noting this was within the terms of the arrangement. "My trust in the United States has been greatly undermined. I don't think it's a reliable partner for our country."

Even though back with his loved ones, the worker is continuing finding it hard to come to terms with what occurred to him. When he met them at the airport after returning home on that night, he said he smiled and {hug