US visa troubles for Korean lawmakers 'very unusual': ex-US diplomat

Former U.S. diplomat Henry Haggard said in Seattle that it is “very unusual” for visa complications to disrupt Korean lawmakers’ official visits to the United States. His comments followed Rep. Jin Sung-joon’s visa application being marked “refused” before a planned early-November visit to Hawaii and a recent visa delay involving Rep. Jung Chung-rae. Haggard said stricter interpretations of rules affecting travelers with criminal records were the most likely explanation, and warned that the complications could harm bilateral relations.

Jin was scheduled to lead a parliamentary delegation to meet senior U.S. military officials, including Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Jin reportedly was asked to submit court records related to a 1991 conviction under South Korea’s National Security Act, for which he was pardoned in 1995.

The State Department’s visa tracking system listed Jin’s application as “Refused” on Oct. 28, a status that can also apply during administrative processing.

Haggard said the U.S. Embassy had historically coordinated with the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to facilitate official visits and inform South Korean officials about possible delays.

South Korea’s foreign ministry indicated that Jin’s visa application process might still be ongoing.

Published Oct 29, 2026 4:32 am KST

Updated Oct 29, 2026 5:01 am KST

A screenshot of a U.S. State Department notice showing the refusal of Rep. Jin Sung-joon's visa application, posted on his Facebook page, Wednesday.

SEATTLE — A former U.S. diplomat said it is "very unusual" for Korean lawmakers to have their official visits disrupted by visa complications, suggesting that stricter interpretations of U.S. immigration rules may be behind the recent difficulties.

Henry Haggard, a former minister counselor for political affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul who now heads a Washington, D.C.-based geopolitical advisory firm, said additional screening for applicants with criminal records is normal, but such procedures have historically rarely prevented senior officials from traveling to the United States on official business.

"It is normal for any official or citizen with a criminal record — Korean or otherwise — to have to go through a more complex application process, but it is very unusual for such additional processing to lead to lawmakers or those travelling for official business to have to cancel their trip or to get refused," Haggard told The Korea Times on Wednesday.

His comments came after Rep. Jin Sung-joon, chair of the National Assembly's defense committee, disclosed that his U.S. visa application had been marked "refused" ahead of a planned visit to Hawaii in early November.

Jin was scheduled to lead a parliamentary delegation for meetings with senior U.S. military officials, including Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The incident followed a visa delay involving Rep. Jung Chung-rae earlier this month, which forced him to change his planned overseas parliamentary audit itinerary.

Haggard said the U.S. Embassy historically worked closely with the State Department and Department of Homeland Security in Washington to facilitate official visits, while keeping South Korean officials informed of possible delays.

Such coordination generally allowed trips to proceed, sometimes after minor delays, he said.

"Rather than diplomatic shifts, these are most likely due to a stricter interpretation of the rules that limit or prohibit travel by those who have criminal records," Haggard said.

He suggested similar difficulties could be occurring elsewhere.

Haggard also warned that the visa complications could damage bilateral relations, noting that many South Koreans regard the anti-government protests of the 1980s as central to the country's democratization.

He said the violent and anti-American nature of some protests could make U.S. visa waivers harder to obtain, while potentially prompting even strongly pro-American Koreans to reconsider their favorable views of the United States.

Jin reportedly was asked to submit court records related to a 1991 conviction under South Korea's National Security Act. He was pardoned in 1995.

The State Department's visa tracking system listed his application as "Refused" as of Oct. 28, although that status can also apply to cases undergoing administrative processing. South Korea's foreign ministry has indicated that the application process may still be ongoing.

美国前外交官亨利·哈格德在西雅图表示，签证问题导致韩国议员对美国进行正式访问“非常罕见”。此前，韩国众议员晋成俊原定于11月初访问夏威夷，但其签证申请被拒签；此外，韩国众议员郑正来也遭遇了签证延误。哈格德认为，最可能的解释是对有犯罪记录旅客签证规定的更严格解读，并警告称，这些问题可能会损害美韩双边关系。

金正日原计划率领国会代表团会见美国高级军事官员，其中包括美国印太司令部司令塞缪尔·帕帕罗海军上将。

据报道，金某被要求提交与他 1991 年因违反韩国国家安全法而被定罪相关的法庭记录，他于 1995 年获得赦免。

美国国务院的签证跟踪系统于 10 月 28 日将金的申请列为“已拒绝”，这一状态也可能适用于行政处理阶段。

哈格德表示，美国大使馆历来与国务院和国土安全部协调，以便利官方访问并告知韩国官员可能出现的延误。

韩国外交部表示，金某的签证申请程序可能​​仍在进行中。

发布于2026年10月29日凌晨4:32（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月29日凌晨5:01（韩国标准时间）

周三，金成俊议员在其脸书页面上发布了一张美国国务院通知的截图，显示其签证申请被拒。

西雅图——一位美国前外交官表示，韩国议员的正式访问因签证问题而受阻“非常不寻常”，这表明美国移民规则的更严格解读可能是近期出现这些困难的原因。

曾任美国驻首尔大使馆政治事务公使衔参赞、现任华盛顿特区地缘政治咨询公司负责人的亨利·哈格德表示，对有犯罪记录的申请人进行额外审查是正常的，但此类程序历来很少阻止高级官员因公前往美国。

“对于任何有犯罪记录的官员或公民——无论是韩国人还是其他国家的公民——来说，都必须经过更复杂的申请程序，这是很正常的。但是，这种额外的程序导致立法者或因公出差的人不得不取消行程或被拒绝入境，这种情况非常罕见。”哈格德周三告诉《韩国时报》。

此前，韩国国会国防委员会主席金成俊议员透露，他原计划于 11 月初访问夏威夷，但其美国签证申请已被标记为“拒绝”。

金正日原计划率领国会代表团会见美国高级军事官员，其中包括美国印太司令部司令塞缪尔·帕帕罗海军上将。

此前，郑正来议员本月早些时候遭遇签证延误，被迫更改原定的海外国会审计行程。

哈格德表示，美国大使馆历来与华盛顿的国务院和国土安全部密切合作，为正式访问提供便利，同时让韩国官员了解可能出现的延误情况。

他说，这样的协调通常能让行程顺利进行，有时会有轻微的延误。

哈格德说：“与其说是外交政策的转变，不如说这些变化很可能是由于对限制或禁止有犯罪记录者旅行的规定进行了更严格的解释。”

他认为其他地方也可能出现类似的困难。

哈格德还警告说，签证问题可能会损害双边关系，并指出许多韩国人认为 20 世纪 80 年代的反政府抗议活动是该国民主化的核心。

他表示，一些抗议活动的暴力和反美性质可能会使美国签证豁免更难获得，同时可能会促使即使是强烈亲美的韩国人重新考虑他们对美国的好感。

据报道，金某被要求提交与他1991年因违反韩国国家安全法而被定罪相关的法庭记录。他于1995年获得赦免。

美国国务院的签证追踪系统显示，截至10月28日，他的申请状态为“已拒签”，但该状态也可能适用于正在接受行政处理的案件。韩国外交部表示，该申请流程可能仍在进行中。