BRADENTON, Fla. — According to an unconfirmed South Korean report, Jung Ho Kang has been denied a visa to enter the United States after a DUI conviction, his third, resulted in a suspended sentence.

The report was published on the Naver Sports website.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, who said Thursday it was “unrealistic” to expect Kang to be ready for Opening Day, did not immediately respond to a text message. Kang’s agent, Alan Nero, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

Kang was convicted of leaving the scene of a DUI arrest in December and sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years. He has appealed the sentence.

Pirates president Frank Coonelly issued a statement a little after 3 p.m. Friday:

“A Korean news outlet has reported on a purported development in Jung Ho Kang’s effort to secure permission to travel to the United States for purposes of continuing his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and added speculation regarding a driving incident in a ‘third country.’

“The facts, as we know them, are that Kang still has not been granted permission to travel to the United States under a work visa.”