FORT SMITH, AR – Hyundai has announced a new manufacturing facility in Arkansas, with the goal of bringing children back into the workforce.

The new plant, located in the suburbs of Fort Smith, will be used to boost production numbers of the Santa Fe and Tucson, as well as boost the number of employees still using booster seats. 

The announcement comes months after Hyundai cut ties with an Alabama-based factory that became infamous for hiring 12 year olds, in violation of state employment laws. It also comes mere days after Arkansas passed a new law permitting the hiring of workers as young as 14 without undergoing age verification.

“We’re very excited about the launch of this new facility,” said a spokesperson for Hyundai USA. “It’s the best thing to happen to Fort Smith since the Trail of Tears. Oh, and we pinky promise this announcement has nothing to do with the change in employment laws.”

The facility will include two production lines, a cafeteria, and an indoor playground. Playtime will be limited to 15 minutes a day for workers. Hyundai anticipates opening the plant in Q3 of 2025.

In related news, Hyundai has revealed that starting in MY2024, Hyundai vehicles will get rid of keyfobs entirely, instead unlocking from an insecure mobile app containing security keys stored in plaintext files.