On October 28, the Foreign Ministry stated that the controversy surrounding the issuance of a U.S. visa for Jin Sung-jun, the Defense Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party, is "not a concluded matter."
In a press release, the ministry noted, "The details regarding individual visa applications and their review results are treated as confidential under U.S. domestic law and procedures." It added, "The Foreign Ministry has been in close communication with the U.S. side to support the smooth official travel of lawmakers and has requested assistance, but it is difficult to confirm specific details regarding the review as they are not disclosed by the U.S. side."
Earlier, Jin posted on Facebook, stating, "The refusal of a visa by the United States for a lawmaker elected by the people of the Republic of Korea and the chairman of the Defense Committee of an allied nation disregards the status of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and undermines the mutual respect and trust that are the foundation of the ROK-U.S. alliance."
He further expressed, "I once again strongly regret the actions of the United States that restrict the sovereign activities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and limit legislative activities aimed at the development of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and I demand proactive measures from the United States." Jin was scheduled to visit the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii from November 1 to 5 with several other committee members, including Kim Byeong-joo, the Democratic Party's secretary, Lim Jong-deuk, the People Power Party's secretary, and Cheon Ha-ram, the leader of the Reform Party, but the visa issue has created uncertainty regarding this schedule.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to depart for the United States on the 29th to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. During a comprehensive audit of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held on October 27, Cho mentioned that he would discuss visa issuance issues, including that of former Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The controversy surrounding Jin's visa issuance is also expected to be addressed in discussions between the two foreign ministers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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