Ruling party lawmaker expresses deep regret over US visa delay
Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea criticized U.S. authorities Tuesday over a visa delay that prevented him from visiting Washington for a parliamentary audit of Seoul's diplomatic missions. Jung had initially planned to join the audit team of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee on its U.S. trip earlier this month, but was forced to switch to the Europe audit team…
Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae expressed strong disappointment on Tuesday regarding the U.S. visa delay that barred him from attending a parliamentary audit of South Korea's diplomatic missions in Washington. Initially scheduled to join the audit team for the United States leg of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee's trip in early August, Jung was compelled to join the Europe audit team as his visa application was still under review at the time of his intended departure.
In a parliamentary session, Jung lamented the U.S. authorities' handling of the situation, emphasizing his dedication to fostering strong ties between Seoul and Washington. He had no alternative but to transfer to the Europe audit team due to concerns about his potential exclusion from the parliamentary audit. Additionally, Jung lamented that the main opposition party had transformed the visa issue into a debate on the deteriorating relations in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, urging both parties to set aside their differences and protest to the U.S. about the matter.
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