South Korea Protests U.S. Visa Delays Affecting Lawmaker's Trip

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to formally raise concerns with U.S. officials regarding delays in visa issuance that prevented Jung Cheong-rae, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party, from participating in a National Assembly audit at the South Korean Embassy in Washington.

During a comprehensive audit session of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 27th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun pointed out structural issues in the U.S. visa process. "The procedures regarding U.S. visas are somewhat chaotic," Cho said, adding that U.S. officials themselves seem unsure about the reasons for the delays. He criticized the behavior of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating, "There are many instances that defy common sense."

Cho noted that he had already raised the issue with the U.S. Embassy in South Korea on October 8, when the visa problem first became public. He emphasized, "For a foreign minister to directly address this issue indicates that it has been raised quite forcefully."

Furthermore, the Ministry plans to escalate its complaints beyond the embassy level to high-ranking officials in the U.S. government. In response to a comment from Democratic Party lawmaker Hong Gi-won, who suggested that U.S. State Department officials might be unaware of the issue, Cho stated, "I happen to be visiting the U.S. in two days to meet with Secretary Marco Rubio. I will raise this issue then." Cho is scheduled to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta from October 29 to November 2 and is coordinating his meeting with Secretary Rubio.

Meanwhile, Jung Cheong-rae expressed his disappointment regarding the ambiguous visa handling by U.S. authorities and the ensuing political controversy in South Korea. He stated, "I have been actively working to promote U.S.-South Korea relations, yet my visa status remains in limbo, neither approved nor denied, but simply marked as 'under review.'" He added that he feared the situation could jeopardize the audit itself, prompting a shift from the U.S. to Europe for the meeting.

Jung also urged criticism and protest against the U.S. administrative handling of such matters, expressing regret that the controversy has led to perceptions of a rift in the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which he believes could harm national interests.