Jung Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party, stated on October 9 that claims regarding his U.S. visa issuance are premature and extreme, asserting they do not benefit the Korea-U.S. alliance or national interests.
In a Facebook post, Jung explained, "My U.S. visa is officially under review, and no decision has been made yet," adding that he changed the venue for the national audit to Europe considering South Korea's holidays and flight reservations.
He urged restraint from making statements that could harm the Korea-U.S. alliance due to his visa issue, stating, "I have previously visited the U.S. twice and will continue my work in the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee to promote Korea-U.S. friendship and national interests."
Jung also shared reports and photos from his visits to the U.S. during the 2012 overseas audit and a meeting with U.S. lawmakers in 2014.
As a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, Jung switched his affiliation to the European Affairs Committee after his U.S. visa did not arrive before the overseas audit.
Speculation arose in political circles that Jung's past involvement in a 1989 protest at the U.S. embassy may have delayed his visa processing. Some opposition lawmakers connected this issue to recent tensions in Korea-U.S. diplomatic and security lines.
The Foreign Ministry stated that linking individual visa issues to the overall Korea-U.S. relationship is inappropriate. They explained that visa applications and processing results are not disclosed under U.S. domestic law, making it difficult to confirm specific reasons for delays.
The Democratic Party expressed regret to the U.S. and urged a response from Korea-U.S. diplomatic authorities. Chief spokesperson Park Sung-jun stated, "Restricting legitimate national audit activities of an ally's parliament does not align with the future-oriented values of our alliance," calling for a swift resolution to the issue.
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok also expressed strong regret over the delay in Jung's visa issuance. However, while the party referred to it as a 'visa issuance hold,' Jung clarified that the review is still ongoing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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