Foreign Minister Cho Hyun adjusts his glasses while listening to questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification and other agencies at the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 27. / Yonhap News Agency

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Oct. 29 that the denial and delay of U.S. visas for lawmakers, including Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea, were "undesirable" and that he intended to ask the United States to expedite visa issuance.

Speaking to reporters before departing to attend the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting, Cho said, "Although this matter is unrelated to South Korea-U.S. relations, the delay in visa issuance is undesirable." He added, "I intend to ask the U.S. side to ensure that visas are issued promptly to our lawmakers."

Recently, the U.S. visa application of Jung, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, was put on hold. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the Democratic Party, who chairs the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, was also denied a U.S. visa. The defense committee has organized a delegation led by Jin to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command from Nov. 1 to 5.

"The United States' refusal to issue a visa to the chair of the National Defense Committee is not merely a restriction on an individual's entry into the country. It obstructs the official legislative activities of the National Assembly, which represents the people of the Republic of Korea," Jin said. "The United States has also refused to issue a visa to Rep. Jung."

"I express strong regret that the United States has restricted not only the sovereign activities of our National Assembly but also legislative activities aimed at strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and I call on Washington to take a more constructive approach," he added.

Rep. Jung, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, had originally planned to visit the United States, Brazil and other countries from Oct. 11 to 22 to conduct parliamentary audits of South Korean diplomatic missions abroad. However, after U.S. authorities put his visa application on hold, he switched to the committee's European inspection delegation and conducted the audit there.

During the parliamentary audit, he also said the issue warranted "a bipartisan protest to the United States, transcending party lines."

The Foreign Ministry said it understood that "the relevant procedures have not yet been concluded," adding that it had been communicating closely with U.S. authorities and requesting their assistance.

Cho is scheduled to remain in the United States until Nov. 2 to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting and seek bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and foreign ministers from other major countries.

                                                                                                               Lee Han-sol