DETROIT, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The head of LG Energy

Solution's North American business said on Tuesday the battery

maker is hopeful about negotiations around visas for its workers

following a massive raid on its joint-venture plant with Hyundai

in Georgia.

"We're cautiously optimistic that this type of thing will not

happen again," said Robert Lee, president for LG Energy Solution

in North America.

The raid earlier this month by U.S. authorities led to the

arrest of about 475 workers, and set the battery plant at the

site back at least two to three months, Hyundai's CEO said last

week. Many of those workers returned to Korea last week.

"We feel really bad for all of our workers as well as our

subcontractors who came here on business to install equipment

and they were detained," Lee added, speaking at an automotive

conference in Detroit.

Reuters previously reported that workers at other LGES

production sites went home after the raid because of visa

concerns.

Lee reiterated what the CEO of LGES previously stated:

production across its facilities would not be meaningfully

affected by these changes.

"We have to try to find a plan that works, regardless of

various different scenarios. That's what we're doing," Lee said

on the sidelines of the event.

In the wake of the raid, Washington and Seoul have agreed to

discuss establishing a new visa category for Koreans, South

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has said.

It is typical for automotive complexes to bring on droves of

workers to install equipment, especially for battery plants,

where the suppliers have expertise. Lee said he is encouraged by

the U.S. and Korea's discussions to improve that cumbersome visa

approval process.