Ruling party lawmaker expresses deep regret over US visa delay

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jung Chung-rae criticized U.S. authorities Tuesday over a visa delay that kept him from joining a parliamentary audit trip to Washington earlier this month. He switched to the Europe audit team because he feared he might miss the audit altogether. Jung said both parties should protest the delay to the United States rather than use it to attack the government. The delay came amid concerns about friction over intelligence cooperation between Seoul and Washington.

Jung had planned to join the parliamentary foreign affairs committee’s audit team on its U.S. trip.

He said he had worked hard to promote friendly relations between Seoul and Washington.

The U.S. reportedly complained about Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s March disclosure of a North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, which Washington believed was based on intelligence it had shared.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service acknowledged it had been excluded from a June trilateral meeting with the United States and Japan on North Korean cyber threats.

Published Oct 27, 2026 2:28 pm KST

Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea speaks during a parliamentary audit by the foreign affairs and unification committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

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 as his visa application remained under review ahead of his planned departure.

"I find the U.S. authorities' handling of the matter deeply regrettable," he said during a parliamentary audit, stressing that he had worked hard to promote friendly relations between Seoul and Washington.

Jung said he had no choice but to switch to the Europe audit team out of concern that he might not be able to participate in the parliamentary audit at all.

He also expressed regret that the main opposition party had turned the visa issue into a controversy about growing strains in the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

"This is a matter that both parties should transcend their differences and protest to the U.S. about, rather than using it to attack our government," he said.

The visa delay came amid concerns about apparent friction between South Korea and the United States over intelligence cooperation after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's public disclosure of a North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, North Korea, in March.

The U.S. has reportedly complained about Chung's disclosure of the information, which it believes was based on intelligence shared by Washington.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service also acknowledged that it had been excluded from a June trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Japan on North Korean cyber threats, following a news report claiming the agency had been left out at Washington's request.

韩国执政党共同民主党议员郑正来周二批评美国当局签证延误，导致他无法参加本月初赴华盛顿参加国会审计的行程。由于担心错过此次审计，他转而加入欧洲审计小组。郑正来表示，两党都应该就签证延误向美国提出抗议，而不是借此攻击政府。此次签证延误正值首尔和华盛顿之间因情报合作问题产生摩擦之际。

郑原计划随国会外交事务委员会的审计小组访问美国。

他说，他一直努力促进首尔和华盛顿之间的友好关系。

据报道，美国对统一部长官郑东荣3月份披露朝鲜龟城铀浓缩设施一事表示不满，华盛顿方面认为这是基于其分享的情报。

韩国国家情报院承认，他们被排除在6月份与美国和日本举行的关于朝鲜网络威胁的三方会议之外。

发布于2026年10月27日下午2:28（韩国标准时间）

周二，韩国执政党共同民主党议员郑正来在首尔国会出席外交统一委员会的议会审计会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

韩国执政党共同民主党议员郑正来周二批评美国当局签证延误，导致他无法前往华盛顿参加国会对首尔外交使团的审计。

荣格原本计划在本月初随议会外交事务委员会的审计小组访问美国，但由于他的签证申请仍在审核中，他被迫转而加入欧洲审计小组。

“我对美国当局处理此事的方式深感遗憾，”他在国会接受质询时表示，并强调他一直努力促进首尔和华盛顿之间的友好关系。

荣格表示，由于担心自己可能根本无法参与议会审计，他别无选择，只能转而加入欧洲审计团队。

他还表示遗憾，主要反对党将签证问题演变成韩美同盟日益紧张关系的争议。

他说：“这是双方应该超越分歧，向美国提出抗议的事情，而不是利用这件事攻击我们的政府。”

在韩国统一部长官郑东荣3月份公开披露朝鲜龟城拥有铀浓缩设施后，韩国和美国在情报合作方面出现了明显的摩擦，签证延迟事件也随之发生。

据报道，美国对钟某泄露信息一事表示不满，美国认为这些信息是基于华盛顿方面分享的情报。

韩国国家情报院也承认，此前有新闻报道称，该机构是应华盛顿的要求被排除在6月份与美国和日本举行的关于朝鲜网络威胁的三方会议之外。