Ruling Party's Defense Committee Chair Jin Seongjun: "Strongly Regret U.S. Visa Denial..."

Following Jung Chungrae, Jin Seongjun Also Faces U.S. Visa Issues
Jin: "It Obstructed the South Korean National Assembly's Parliamentary Activities"

Rep. Jin Seongjun of the Democratic Party of Korea, who chairs the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, applied for an A-2 official visa to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii with defense committee members from both the ruling and opposition parties, but had not received it as of Oct. 28, it was reported.

Jin disclosed the matter on his social media account that day, saying, "I strongly regret the United States’ refusal to issue a visa to the chair of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea."

Jin Sungjoon, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who chairs the National Assembly's National Defense Committee. Photo provided by Yonhap News.

According to Jin, the committee had planned to organize a delegation to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command from Nov. 1 to 5 to strengthen South Korea-U.S. security cooperation and discuss ways to develop the alliance.

The delegation was to be led by Jin and include Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byeongju, People Power Party floor leader Lim Jongdeuk, and Chun Haram of the Reform Party. Jin said that meetings with key officials, including U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, had already been confirmed.

"Despite these circumstances, the United States' refusal to issue a visa to the committee chair was not simply a restriction on an individual's entry. It obstructed the National Assembly's official parliamentary activities on behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea," Jin criticized.

Previously, Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, had also prepared to visit the South Korean Embassy in Washington for a parliamentary audit, but changed the audit location to Europe after visa issuance was delayed.

Referring to Jung's case, Jin said, "I once again strongly regret that the United States has restricted the sovereign activities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and is now limiting parliamentary activities aimed at developing the South Korea-U.S. alliance," adding, "I call on the United States to take a more constructive approach."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.