Lawsuit to Cancel Visa Denial by LA Consulate General
Previously Won Final Victory but Consulate General Denied Issuance
Criticized Government and Ruling Party Online via SNS, YouTube
"Youth Anger Over Politicians' Two-Faced Actions in Public Affairs"
Singer Yoo Seung-jun (45, U.S. name Steven Seung-jun Yoo) YouTube broadcast / Photo by YouTube video capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Singer Yoo Seung-jun (45, U.S. name Steven Seung-jun Yoo), who is restricted from entering South Korea, will have the first hearing of his second lawsuit against the government requesting the issuance of an entry visa on the 3rd. Previously, Yoo won the final victory in a lawsuit to revoke the government's refusal to issue a visa, but was rejected again on the grounds that there was a "risk of harming Korea's interests." Since then, Yoo has been criticizing the government through online activities such as YouTube.
The Administrative Court of Seoul, Administrative Division 5 (Chief Judge Jung Sang-gyu) will hold the first oral argument of the lawsuit filed by Yoo against the Consul General of the Los Angeles (LA) Consulate General, requesting the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal on the same day.
This lawsuit is the second one filed by Yoo after the administrative lawsuit he filed with the same consulate in 2015. At that time, Yoo applied for an Overseas Korean visa (F-4) at the LA Consulate General, but the consulate refused to issue the visa, and Yoo subsequently filed an administrative lawsuit requesting the cancellation of the refusal.
The first and second trials ruled that the LA Consulate General's refusal to issue the visa was lawful. However, in November 2019, the Supreme Court overturned and remanded the lower court's ruling, ordering the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal against Yoo. After the remand trial, Yoo won the final victory at the Supreme Court in March last year.
However, the LA Consulate General again refused to issue a visa to Yoo in July of the same year. This was based on Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the current Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans, which states, "If there is a risk of harming Korea's interests such as security and order maintenance, the status of stay for overseas Koreans shall not be granted."
Mojonghwa, Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, is reporting on duties at the Military Manpower Administration's audit during the National Defense Committee meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 13th last year. / Photo by Yonhap News
The Military Manpower Administration also announced its position to maintain the entry ban on Yoo. At the National Defense Committee's audit at the National Assembly last year, Military Manpower Administration Commissioner Mo Jong-hwa emphasized, "Steve Yoo abandoned his noble military duty on his own," and said, "If he enters and works in the entertainment industry, how great would the loss of morale be among soldiers? Entry must continue to be prohibited."
Since then, Yoo has appealed for entry permission through social networking services (SNS), and recently has continued his online activities by posting videos criticizing the Korean government on his YouTube channel.
On October 13th, Yoo posted a lengthy letter on Instagram, saying, "I still feel sorry for disappointing many people by not keeping my promise to serve in the military back in 2002," but also appealed, "It is inappropriate to impose an indefinite entry ban because of that issue."
He added, "I am the first person in the history of the Republic of Korea to be banned from entry on the grounds of acquiring (U.S.) citizenship with the intention of evading military service," and said, "I am not someone who poses a risk of harming Korea's interests, nor am I a criminal, a powerful person, a chaebol, or a politician, but a powerless entertainer who briefly enjoyed popularity in the past."
Mr. Yoo strongly opposed the 'Yoo Seung-jun Prevention Act' in a video uploaded to his personal YouTube channel on December 19 last year, saying, "Am I a public enemy?" / Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, Yoo has also criticized the government and the ruling party through YouTube videos. In a video posted at the end of last year, he said, "Does it make sense that I cause frustration among young people?" and pointed out, "Young people are even more angry and frustrated seeing the corruption and double faces of politicians handling national affairs due to former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's son's 'emperor leave' and former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's absurd incidents."
Regarding Kim Byung-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who proposed the 'Yoo Seung-jun Prevention 5 Acts,' Yoo criticized, "Does this bill make sense? Are you kidding? Are there no politicians working with the taxes of Korean citizens?"
He also claimed that the Moon Jae-in administration's diplomatic policy was lowering the morale of the armed forces. He said, "My entry was refused because it was feared that it would lower military morale. Why does the military exist? Aren't we at war with North Korea? Isn't our enemy North Korea?" and criticized, "What is our country's president doing? Going to Panmunjom to meet Kim Jong-un, shaking hands and hugging. Isn't seeing that what lowers the morale of our military?"
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