U.S. to restrict visa issuance to those impeding resolution of int'l parental child abduction: Rubio

This will let Google show Yonhap news articles that match or are related to your search

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday the United States will restrict visa issuance to those responsible for impeding the resolution of international parental child abduction (IPCA) cases as a U.S. report has accused South Korea and other countries of showing a "pattern of noncompliance" with a multilateral treaty.

Rubio issued a statement on the restriction, highlighting that protecting American children abducted across international borders and reuniting them with their parents is a "top" priority for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Earlier, the State Department issued an annual report on IPCA that cited South Korea and 13 other countries as demonstrating a pattern of noncompliance with the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention that requires a country to expeditiously return a child held by a parent to the child's country of habitual residence.

South Korea was previously cited for a pattern of noncompliance in annual reports from 2022 through last year. IPCA cases often occur when parents are separated or start a divorce process.

"When foreign government officials, judges, judicial administrators, law enforcement officials, and others intentionally obstruct the prompt resolution of these cases, they prolong family separations and block the return of children to the United States," Rubio said.

"Today, I am announcing a new policy to restrict visa issuance to individuals responsible for, or complicit in, impeding the prompt resolution of international parental child abduction cases, as well as their immediate family members," he added.

This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the State Department in Washington on Sept. 28, 2026. (Yonhap)

The policy includes individuals who intentionally fail to implement or comply with laws, policies or court orders to resolve IPCA cases and return children to their country of habitual residence, the secretary said.

This year's IPCA report claimed that South Korean authorities "regularly" failed to enforce return orders rendered by the judicial authority in abduction cases.

In particular, it pointed out that the Korean authorities failed for the seventh time last year to enforce a Korean court-ordered return of a child to the U.S. in a case that remains unresolved since 2019.

"The competent authorities of the ROK failed to take appropriate steps to locate children after a Convention application was filed, which contributed to a pattern of noncompliance," the report said. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"ROK competent authorities failed to locate or undertake serious efforts to locate the abducted child in one case that has been pending for more than 12 months."

The report also said that the State Department will continue "robust" engagement with Korean authorities and will consider using the "full range of tools" contained in the Goldman Act to address ongoing issues of concern. The act is designed to resolve IPCA cases.

Aside from South Korea, the report cited Argentina, The Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Honduras, India, Jordan, Peru, Poland, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates as demonstrating a pattern of noncompliance with the convention.

sshluck@yna.co.kr (END)

Prince Harry to send congratulatory video message for S. Korean sports event for wounded veterans

(Movie Review) 'Possible Love' patiently explores modern love and class with quiet power

(LEAD) S. Korea picks Texas power plant as 1st U.S. investment project

(URGENT) S. Korea wins gold in men's street skateboarding at Asian Games

(Asiad) S. Korea disqualified in men's 4x100m relay at Asian Games

(2nd LD) Land mine explodes at DMZ during military operation over suspected N. Korean minefield: JCS

Actor Park Shin-hye welcomes baby daughter

(LEAD) (Asiad) N. Korea scoops 2 golds in weightlifting at Asian Games

(LEAD) S. Korea voices 'strong regret' over Ukraine's denial of nondisclosure pact on N.K. POWs

Sculptures honoring N. Korean soldiers to be erected in Vietnam

(2nd LD) BTS sweeps 3 categories at MTV VMAs; BLACKPINK's Lisa wins Best Pop

(Asiad) S. Korea grabs bronze in men's 4x100m relay in nat'l record time

N.K. leader's portrait at university

Last day of Chuseok holiday

Lee meets with reporters

Skateboarder Kang Jun-i

U.S. to restrict visa issuance to those impeding resolution of int'l parental child abduction: Rubio

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

华盛顿，9月29日（韩联社）——美国国务卿马可·卢比奥周一表示，美国将限制向那些阻碍解决国际父母拐骗儿童（IPCA）案件的人发放签证，此前一份美国报告指责韩国和其他国家“屡次违反”一项多边条约。

鲁比奥就此限制发表声明，强调保护被绑架到国际边界的美国儿童并让他们与父母团聚是美国总统唐纳德·特朗普政府的“首要”优先事项。

此前，美国国务院发布了一份关于《国际防止拐骗儿童公约》的年度报告，其中列举了韩国和其他 13 个国家，指出它们存在不遵守 1980 年《海牙防止拐骗儿童公约》的行为模式。该公约要求一国迅速将被父母扣留的儿童送回其惯常居住国。

韩国此前曾因2022年至去年的年度报告中存在一系列不合规行为而受到指责。IPCA案件通常发生在父母分居或开始离婚程序时。

“当外国政府官员、法官、司法行政人员、执法官员和其他人故意阻挠这些案件的迅速解决时，他们延长了家庭分离的时间，并阻止了儿童返回美国，”鲁比奥说。

“今天，我宣布一项新政策，限制向那些对迅速解决国际父母绑架儿童案件负有责任或参与其中的个人及其直系亲属发放签证，”他补充道。

这张由美联社发布的照片​​显示，2026年9月28日，美国国务卿马可·卢比奥与黎巴嫩总理纳瓦夫·萨拉姆在华盛顿国务院会面。（韩联社）

该政策涵盖故意不执行或不遵守法律、政策或法院命令来解决IPCA案件并将儿童送回其惯常居住国的个人，该部长表示。

今年的IPCA报告称，韩国当局“经常”未能执行司法机关在绑架案件中作出的遣返令。

报告特别指出，去年韩国当局第七次未能执行韩国法院下令将一名儿童送回美国的命令，该案件自 2019 年以来一直悬而未决。

报告指出，“在提交《公约》申请后，韩国主管当局未能采取适当措施寻找儿童，这导致了一系列不遵守公约的行为。” 韩国的正式名称为大韩民国。

“在一宗已悬而未决超过12个月的被拐儿童案件中，韩国有关当局未能找到被拐儿童，也未采取任何认真措施寻找该儿童。”

报告还指出，美国国务院将继续与韩国当局保持“强有力的”沟通，并将考虑动用《高盛法案》中包含的“所有工具”来解决持续存在的关切问题。该法案旨在解决《独立警察投诉法》（IPCA）案件。

除了韩国之外，该报告还列举了阿根廷、巴哈马、伯利兹、巴西、厄瓜多尔、埃及、洪都拉斯、印度、约旦、秘鲁、波兰、塞尔维亚和阿拉伯联合酋长国，指出这些国家存在不遵守该公约的模式。

sshluck@yna.co.kr（完）

哈里王子将向韩国伤残退伍军人体育赛事发来祝贺视频。

（影评）《可能的爱情》以静谧的力量，耐心地探讨了现代爱情与阶级问题。

（导语）韩国选择德克萨斯州发电厂作为其首个美国投资项目

（紧急）韩国在亚运会男子街式滑板比赛中夺得金牌

（亚运会）韩国队在亚运会男子4×100米接力赛中被取消资格

（第二次）在对疑似朝鲜雷区进行军事行动期间，非军事区发生地雷爆炸：联合参谋本部

演员朴信惠喜得千金

（头条）朝鲜在亚运会举重项目中斩获两枚金牌

（导语）韩国对乌克兰否认有关朝鲜战俘的保密协议表示“强烈遗憾”

越南将竖立纪念朝鲜士兵的雕塑。

（第二部分）BTS 横扫 MTV 音乐录影带大奖三项大奖；BLACKPINK 的 Lisa 荣获最佳流行歌手奖

（亚运会）韩国队在男子4x100米接力赛中以全国纪录成绩夺得铜牌

朝鲜领导人在大学的画像

中秋节假期的最后一天

李会见记者

滑板运动员姜俊伊

卢比奥：美国将限制向阻碍解决国际父母绑架儿童案件的人员发放签证