A senior U.S. state department official has expressed “deep regret” for the recent detention of more than 300 South Korean workers in Georgia and vowed to prevent recurrence.

Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state, issued the statement on Sunday during a meeting with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo in Seoul.

According to Seoul's foreign ministry, Landau conveyed his deep regret regarding the mass detention and suggested using it as an opportunity to strengthen the two nations' bilateral ties and improve related systems.

Landau also said that because U.S. President Donald Trump has a keen interest in the matter, the released workers will face no disadvantages if they later attempt to reenter the United States.

The U.S. official added that Washington would try to ensure no further incidents of a similar nature would take place in the future.