Ruling party lawmaker issued U.S. visa, days after refusal

Democrat Party lawmaker Jin Sung-joon has reportedly received a U.S. visa for an upcoming trip to the Pacific Command, despite initially being informed that his application was rejected. The former parliamentary defense committee chairman shared the news on Facebook, expressing gratitude that the U.S. State Department had granted him the official A-2 visa, albeit with a delay.

Jin plans to depart for the U.S. on Sunday afternoon, aiming to engage in discussions with the U.S. Pacific commander and other military leaders to bolster bilateral security cooperation and foster a forward-thinking alliance.

On Wednesday, Jin had announced that his U.S. visa application had been rejected, posting an image that seemed to indicate his application had been denied. The lawmaker expressed deep regret over the rejection, emphasizing that it was particularly difficult to comprehend given his prior visit to the U.S. command in 2014 as a parliamentary committee member.

The specific reason for the denial remained unclear, though some analysts suggested that Jin's past conviction for violating South Korea's National Security Act in 1991, which resulted in a three-year prison sentence and three-year disqualification from holding public office, might have played a role in the decision.