A top U.S. diplomat expressed regret on Sunday over an immigration raid in the state of Georgia that detained hundreds of South Korean workers and proposed making the event a turning point to strengthen bilateral relations, South Korea said.

In a meeting in Seoul, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo urged Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to push forward bilateral discussions on follow-up measures, including a new visa category, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Some 300 South Korean workers returned home to cheers and emotional reunions on Friday, a week after being detained in the massive immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant - an event that sent shockwaves across South Korea, a key U.S. ally.

"Deputy Secretary Landau expressed deep regret over the incident and proposed using it as a turning point to improve the system and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. relationship," the ministry said, adding that Landau said President Donald Trump had "high interest" in the case.

After the raid, Trump had suggested that the Koreans stay in the U.S. if they wished, and the negotiations with U.S. officials were straightforward, South Korea's top security said on Friday.

To prevent the recurrence of such an incident, Seoul has called on the U.S. to provide clear guidelines for existing business visas and create a new visa category for Korean professionals to support massive investment projects by Korean businesses in the U.S.