> weren't just laborers

I'm trying to read that in a charitable way: you're pointing out that, to a person who is fine with being cruel to laborers, they might not be comfortable with the cruelty and humiliation if it impacts people they might find deserving of respect and decency, yeah?

I'm roughly in the same camp and my take is: it's wrong when you're being cruel to migrant workers from poor countries willing to work for pennies.

It's also wrong, but not just that, it's wrong and stupid when you do the same thing to employees of a multi-national corporation building a factory that was going to be a major economic boost to your town.

No - Here is a charitable way to read it:

The Koreans are not responsible for the cruelty US immigration imposes on its victims- it’s not their country or fight.

It’s US internal affairs and laws, Korea is involved only in looking out for its own citizens.

The Hyundai workers were still working for and being paid Hyundai - so they didn’t “need” to skirt US immigration law.

yes, this is korean culture (and other asian countries too)

we also expect white collar workers to be treated differently than blue collar workers. even if we agree that this particular treatment is unacceptable for both.