South Korea will send a chartered plane to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to bring back workers detained in a huge immigration raid last week on a car battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, a Korean Air spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Seoul would negotiate with Washington to achieve a reasonable resolution to the situation based on the spirit of their alliance, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said at a cabinet meeting, adding that he felt a "heavy responsibility" for the detained nationals.

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8i plane with 368 seats will fly from South Korea's Incheon to Atlanta, the airline spokesperson said.

During the U.S. immigration raid, about 300 South Koreans were arrested along with 175 others at the site of the $4.3 billion Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution project to build batteries for electric cars.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in Washington to negotiate on points such as seeking assurances that the Koreans returned home will be allowed to re-enter the United States.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt referred questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Commerce, saying they were handling the matter.

Assistant of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement, gave no details on the ongoing probe or talks but defended the raid: "Those who exploit our workforce, undermine our economy, and violate federal laws will be held accountable."

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump said foreign companies must hire and train American workers while respecting immigration laws.

The raid – the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security's investigative operations – sent shockwaves through South Korea, a U.S. ally that has been trying to finalize a trade deal agreed with Washington in July.

A Realmeter opinion poll published on Tuesday showed that nearly 60 percent of South Koreans felt disappointed by what they viewed as excessive action by U.S. authorities in the raid, while about 30 percent regarded the action as unavoidable.

Details on how U.S. immigration rules may have been breached have not been released by the authorities or companies involved, but South Korean lawmakers say some may have overstepped the boundaries of a 90-day visa-waiver program or a B-1 temporary business visa.

South Korean foreign minister said he would discuss with Washington creating a special work permit for Korean professionals.

(With input from Reuters)