[ED] US visa rejections risk damaging alliance with Korea

The United States rejected visa applications from South Korean lawmakers Rep. Jin Sung-joon and former Democratic Party of Korea chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae ahead of planned official visits. Jin was due to travel with a National Assembly Defense Committee delegation to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, while Jung planned to join a parliamentary audit of Seoul’s diplomatic mission. The editorial says the denials risk inflaming tensions and perceptions of a widening rift between the allies. It calls for direct consultations and mutual respect to strengthen the alliance.

Jin submitted his visa application on Oct. 12, and the planned Hawaii visit was scheduled to run from Sunday to Thursday.

The lawmakers sought A-2 official visas, which are subject to consular screening; the editorial says such refusals are uncommon.

Foreign ministry data submitted to Rep. Kim Dae-sik showed that 24.73 percent of Korean applicants for U.S. visas were rejected in 2025, up 9.76 percent from 2024.

The editorial identifies wartime operational control, the role of U.S. forces in South Korea, trade issues involving Coupang and Seoul’s approach to China as points of friction.

Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha told a parliamentary audit she faced limitations in communicating with the White House; the embassy later said she wanted more frequent communication with U.S. officials.

Published Oct 30, 2026 3:25 pm KST

Updated Oct 30, 2026 9:12 pm KST

Eroding trust and respect undermines Seoul-Washington alliance

Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and chairman of the National Assembly's Defense Committee makes opening remarks before the start of the parliamentary audit of the 1st Fighter Wing in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Oct. 14. Jin's Oct. 12 visa application for a U.S. visit was rejected. Yonhap

Under President Donald Trump's administration, stricter immigration policies have led to an increase in the U.S. rejecting visa applications for visitors from around the globe. It is one thing for a government to reject potentially dangerous travelers, but it is another matter when the applicants are lawmakers from allied countries whose travel is halted by a visa denial.

Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and chairman of South Korea's National Assembly Defense Committee saw his visa application, submitted on Oct. 12, rejected. He planned to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii from Sunday to Thursday with a delegation of members from the defense committee.

"It disregards the standing of Korea’s National Assembly and undermines the mutual respect and trust that form the foundation of the U.S.-Korea alliance," Jin wrote in a Facebook post after the rejection.

Former DPK chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae also had his U.S. visa application stalled, disabling his planned visit to the United States for a parliamentary audit of Seoul's diplomatic mission.

Refusals of visas — in this case A-2 official visas for ranking ruling party lawmakers — are not a common occurrence. The denials are especially unusual given the long path the United States and Korea have walked together as allies. Repeated refusals have prompted speculation in Seoul that Washington may be using the visa denials to signal its discontent.

Sticking points in several issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul and the role of U.S. forces in South Korea have created the appearance of a rift that Seoul has sought to characterize as part of a “normal” relationship between the two countries.

There are also perceived differences over trade issues, including the U.S. company Coupang and concerns in Washington that the Lee Jae Myung administration is taking a more progressive approach, particularly in its relations with China. These points of friction persist even as Lee reiterates a pragmatic approach to diplomacy and a strong emphasis on the Korea-U.S. alliance.

The refusal of B-1 and B2 visitor visas for Koreans also increased in 2025. Based on data from the foreign ministry submitted to Rep. Kim Dae-sik of the People Power Party, a total of 24.73 percent of Korean U.S. visa applicants had their applications rejected, a rise of 9.76 percent over 2024 numbers. That means 1 out of 4 Koreans applying for a U.S. visa last year had it denied.

The A-2 visas sought by Jin and Jung are intended for official visits, although applications are still subject to consular screening. Both were student activists in the 1980s and 1990s, but neither had encountered difficulties during previous official visits to the United States.

Even taking into account the rigorous screening system, it is not an ordinary turn of events to see parliamentarians have their U.S. visa applications turned down. Any differences between the two allies should be addressed through direct, face-to-face consultations rather than by preventing such meetings from taking place. For Korea, one of Washington’s few treaty allies on the Asian continent, the denials are an extraordinary development that risks unnecessarily inflaming tensions and perceptions of a widening rift.

The two countries’ ambassadors have also acknowledged challenges in the relationship. Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha told a recent parliamentary audit that she faced “limitations” in communicating with the White House. The embassy later clarified that her remarks reflected a desire for more frequent communication with U.S. officials. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel recently described bilateral relations as being in “turbulence.”

As the geopolitical and geosecurity landscape shifts amid heightened global uncertainty, alliances may invariably be put to the test. Still, Korea is a longtime alliance partner of the U.S. It remains a dedicated security and economic partner. Both sides should therefore avoid actions that could be perceived as deliberate slights or attempts to pressure one another over differences. Mutual respect and trust are essential to strengthening the alliance.

美国拒绝了韩国国会议员晋成俊和前民主党委员长郑正来议员的签证申请，两人原计划进行正式访问。晋成俊原定随韩国国会国防委员会代表团访问位于夏威夷的美国印太司令部，而郑正来则计划参加国会对首尔外交使团的审计。社论指出，拒签可能会加剧紧张局势，并加深人们对盟友间裂痕扩大的担忧。社论呼吁双方进行直接磋商，相互尊重，以加强同盟关系。

金于10月12日提交了签证申请，计划中的夏威夷之行定于周日至周四进行。

议员们申请的是 A-2 公务签证，这种签证需要经过领事审查；社论称，这种拒签情况并不常见。

外交部提交给金大植议员的数据显示，2025年韩国申请美国签证的拒签率为24.73%，比2024年上升9.76%。

社论指出，战时作战控制、美军在韩国的作用、涉及 Coupang 的贸易问题以及首尔对华政策是摩擦点。

韩国驻美国大使康京和在国会审计中表示，她在与白宫沟通方面面临诸多限制；大使馆后来表示，她希望与美国官员进行更频繁的沟通。

发布于2026年10月30日下午3:25（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月30日晚上9:12（韩国标准时间）

信任和尊重的削弱损害了首尔与华盛顿的联盟

10月14日，韩国执政党共同民主党议员、国会国防委员会委员长秦成俊在全南光州特别广域市出席第一战斗机联队国会审计工作并致开幕词。秦成俊10月12日申请赴美签证被拒。（韩联社）

在唐纳德·特朗普总统执政期间，更严格的移民政策导致美国拒签来自世界各地访客的签证申请数量增加。政府拒绝潜在危险旅客入境是一回事，但当申请人是盟国议员，他们的旅行因签证被拒而受阻时，情况就截然不同了。

韩国执政党共同民主党议员、韩国国会国防委员会委员长晋成俊于10月12日提交的签证申请被拒。他原计划于周日至周四率领国防委员会代表团访问位于夏威夷的美国印太司令部。

“这无视了韩国国会的地位，破坏了构成美韩同盟基础的相互尊重和信任，”金在被拒绝后在Facebook上发帖写道。

前朝鲜人民军议长郑正来议员的美国签证申请也被搁置，导致他原计划赴美对首尔外交使团进行国会审计的行程无法成行。

拒签——在本案中，拒签的是执政党高级议员的A-2公务签证——并非常见现象。考虑到美韩两国长期以来作为盟友并肩前行，此次拒签尤其不同寻常。屡次拒签引发首尔方面猜测，认为华盛顿可能借此表达不满。

包括战时作战指挥权从华盛顿移交给首尔以及美军在韩国的作用等几个问题上的分歧，造成了两国关系出现裂痕的假象，而首尔方面则试图将此描述为两国“正常”关系的一部分。

双方在贸易问题上也存在分歧，包括美国公司Coupang的交易，以及华盛顿方面担忧李在明政府采取更为激进的政策，尤其是在对华关系方面。尽管李在明重申了务实的外交方针和对韩美同盟的高度重视，但这些摩擦点依然存在。

2025年，韩国公民申请B-1和B2签证的拒签率也有所上升。根据韩国外交部提交给国民力量党议员金大植的数据，2025年韩国公民赴美签证申请被拒签的比例高达24.73%，比2024年上升了9.76%。这意味着去年每四名申请美国签证的韩国公民中就有一人被拒签。

金和郑申请的A-2签证是用于正式访问的，但申请仍需经过领事审查。两人都曾在上世纪八九十年代积极参与学生运动，但此前对美国的正式访问均未遇到任何困难。

即使考虑到严格的审查制度，议员的美国签证申请被拒也并非寻常之事。美韩两国之间的任何分歧都应通过直接的面对面磋商来解决，而不是阻止此类会晤。对于韩国——华盛顿在亚洲大陆为数不多的几个条约盟友之一——而言，此次拒签事件非同寻常，有可能不必要地加剧紧张局势，并加深人们对两国裂痕扩大的担忧。

两国大使也承认两国关系面临挑战。韩国驻美国大使康京和在最近一次国会听证会上表示，她在与白宫沟通方面面临“限制”。大使馆随后澄清，她的言论反映了她希望与美国官员加强沟通的愿望。与此同时，美国驻韩国大使米歇尔·斯蒂尔最近将双边关系描述为处于“动荡”状态。

随着全球不确定性加剧，地缘政治和安全格局不断变化，联盟关系难免会受到考验。尽管如此，韩国作为美国的长期盟友，仍然是美国重要的安全和经济伙伴。因此，双方都应避免采取任何可能被视为故意怠慢或试图就分歧向对方施压的行动。相互尊重和信任是巩固联盟关系的关键。