Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
US Denies Visa to South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee Chair
South Korean lawmaker Jin Sung-joon says the US denied his visa for an official trip.
Jin chairs the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, which had planned to visit US military sites, including the US Indo-Pacific Command, from November 1 to 5.
He said the denial undermined mutual respect and trust between the allies.
The opposition People Power Party blamed the governing Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung’s government, arguing their security views and appointments had damaged ties with Washington.
Those accusations are the opposition party’s claims; the account does not give a US explanation for the visa decision.
The planned committee visit is now in doubt because Jin’s visa was denied.
The People Power Party urged Jin to take responsibility, including by resigning as committee chair.
The United States denied a visa to Jin Seong-jun, chair of South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee, according to Jin.
The committee had planned an official visit to the United States from the 1st to the 5th of the following month.
Jin said the refusal undermined mutual respect and trust, which he described as foundations of the South Korea-US alliance.
South Korea’s People Power Party criticized the ruling Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung government over the visa refusal.
The sources do not state why the United States denied the visa.
- Who
- Jin Seong-jun, chair of South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee.
- What
- The United States denied his application for an A-2 visa for an official committee visit.
- When
- Jin said the denial occurred before the articles were published on October 29, 2026.
- Where
- The planned visit included the U.S. Pacific Command.
- Why
- Not stated.
Jin Seong-jun and the Democratic Party
People Power Party
Responsibility
Jin Seong-jun and the Democratic Party
Jin said the refusal undermined mutual respect and trust, foundations of the alliance.
People Power Party
The party blamed the Lee government and Democratic Party, rather than the United States, for what it called a diplomatic failure.
Response to the visa refusal
Jin Seong-jun and the Democratic Party
Jin expressed regret over the decision.
People Power Party
People Power Party spokesperson Park Seong-hoon said Jin and the party should stop blaming the United States and take responsibility.
Jin said the United States had denied his application for an A-2 visa for the committee’s official visit.
The Defense Committee was scheduled to visit the U.S. Pacific Command and other sites.
The articles reported the visa denial and the People Power Party’s criticism.
- Visa applicant
- Jin Seong-jun
- Position
- Chair of the National Assembly Defense Committee
- Visa type
- A-2
- Planned visit
- The 1st to the 5th of the following month
- Planned destination
- U.S. Pacific Command and other sites
4 sources
What people are saying
An act that ignores the standing of South Korea’s National Assembly and undermines mutual respect and trust, the foundations of the South Korea-US alliance
The fundamental cause of driving South Korea-US relations to this point is not the United States, but the Lee government and the Democratic Party, which have placed blindly anti-American and pro-North Korean figures at the forefront of national security