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

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.