Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over U.S. Visa Refusal of Defense Committee Chairman Jin Sung-jun

With the U.S. visa of Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sung-jun, chairman of the National Defense Committee, initially denied and only issued later, the ruling and opposition parties are locked in a war of words over the incident.

In a statement, People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon criticized the situation as an "unprecedented diplomatic humiliation," saying that the chairman of South Korea's National Defense Committee had been asked by the United States, a treaty ally, to submit an English translation of his past National Security Act conviction along with a criminal background check, and only received entry approval after doing so. Park demanded that Jin apologize to the public. He added that Jin would not have faced such an ordeal had he not been the man who once referred to U.S. Forces Korea as an "occupation army" and called for their withdrawal. Park pointed out that even if Jin boards his flight to Hawaii once the visa is issued as if nothing happened, the current state of the "creaking Korea-U.S. alliance" revealed by this incident will never be erased, and urged the chairman to make a responsible decision, including stepping down from his post.

In response, Democratic Party floor spokesperson Lee Joo-hee said in a written briefing that pressuring a foreign country's lawmakers while the National Assembly's legitimate legislative activities are being restricted amounts to turning one's back on the national interest. She derided the People Power Party's stance of criticizing even a demand for an explanation from the U.S. side over the measure that blocked the Assembly's official activities as "servile toadying." Noting that People Power Party lawmaker Lim Jong-deuk is also taking part in Chairman Jin's U.S. visit, Lee criticized the opposition for turning security diplomacy involving lawmakers from both parties into political fodder and mocking the defense committee chairman's official activities, calling it an "act of self-harm against national interests" that undermines the National Assembly's standing and dignity. She demanded that the People Power Party halt its offensive and apologize.