Jung Cheong-rae switches overseas parliamentary audit destination to Europe over U.S. visa delay... Kim Min-seok expresses “strong regret”

[Financial News] Jung Cheong-rae, a DPK lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, has changed the destination for an audit of overseas diplomatic missions from the United States to Europe because of delays in the issuance of his U.S. visa. DPK leader Kim Min-seok expressed “strong regret” and called on the South Korean and U.S. diplomatic authorities to resolve the issue swiftly.
According to political circles on the 8th, the U.S. Department of State had not issued a visa to Jung as of that day.
Jung said on Facebook that day, “I was scheduled to travel for the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee’s overseas audit as a member of its Americas team, but as of today, the U.S. visa is reportedly still ‘under review’ by the U.S. Department of State.”
He explained, “I could not wait any longer while it was neither approved nor denied, so I urgently applied to switch to the Europe team,” adding, “I had no choice but to go to Europe.” Asked why the visa issuance was delayed, he said, “I don’t know. It’s regrettable.”
Kim also wrote on the social media platform X, “I express strong regret over the delay in issuing a visa to the former ruling-party leader, a highly respected four-term veteran lawmaker.”
He continued, “I hope the South Korean and U.S. diplomatic authorities will move swiftly and proactively to resolve the issue,” emphasizing, “The party will continue to keep a close eye on it.”
Jung raised questions about the visa delay, citing his past visits to the United States. He explained, “I visited the United States in 2012 and conducted an audit for the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, and in 2014, in my capacity as a member of the National Assembly, I met with members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to discuss issues on the Korean Peninsula.”
He added, “There are still two working days, in U.S. local time, during which the visa can be reviewed, but I switched from the Americas team to the Europe team in consideration of my departure schedule,” and said, “Wherever I go for the overseas parliamentary audit, I will do my utmost in my legislative work for the national interest.”
The Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee’s Americas team is scheduled to depart on the 11th and visit the United States, Brazil, Colombia and Canada, among other countries, for 12 days and nine nights to conduct audits of overseas diplomatic missions.
This is not the first time Jung has changed his parliamentary audit destination because of a U.S. visa issue. In 2013, too, ahead of an audit of overseas diplomatic missions, he was unable to obtain a U.S. visa and joined the Europe audit team instead of the Americas team.
However, the specific reason the U.S. side delayed issuing the visa this time has not been confirmed.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter