Hyundai chief executive José Muñoz said on Wednesday that the White House phoned him personally to apologise for a massive immigration raid at a factory in the US state of Georgia.
Speaking at a conference of business leaders in Singapore, Mr Muñoz said the governor of Georgia had also called him and said "I don't know what happened, this is not state jurisdiction."
In September, more than 300 South Korean workers were detained in a raid at a battery plant operated by Hyundai and electronics giant LG, raising tensions between Washington and Seoul.
The BBC has contacted the White House and the governor of Georgia for comment.
During the raid, workers were forced to sit on the floor of the factory as officers shackled their legs in scenes that sparked outrage in South Korea.
