Ruling party lawmaker issued U.S. visa, days after refusal

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Saturday he has been issued a U.S. visa for a trip to the U.S. Pacific Command, days after he said his application was rejected.

Jin, who serves as chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, said in a Facebook post that he received the visa from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and that it was fortunate the U.S. State Department has issued the official A-2 visa, albeit belatedly.

The lawmaker said he will depart Sunday afternoon and hold discussions with the U.S Pacific commander and other U.S. military leaders about strengthening bilateral security cooperation and developing a future-oriented alliance.

On Wednesday, Jin had said his U.S. visa application was rejected and shared on Facebook what appeared to be a document that showed his application was refused.

Jin expressed strong regret, saying the rejection was difficult to understand, given that he had visited the U.S. command in 2014 as a member of the parliamentary committee.

The exact reason for the denial was unclear, but some observers note that Jin's past conviction for violating South Korea's National Security Act may have been a factor. He was sentenced to three years in prison and a three-year suspension of qualifications in 1991 for violating the law.

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